The Chicago Bears’ rookie contract negotiations with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams weren’t quite as easy as they should have been. Williams was unsigned until the brink of training camp, and his team was making some odd requests — such as asking to be paid as an LLC. Eventually, both sides got the deal done, the quarterback is ready to go for the season.
The Bears are appearing on “Hard Knocks” this year, and some early footage is already being released. In one clip, Williams announces the size of his signing bonus — $25.5 million — in his introduction to the team, and his Bears teammates go wild in celebration. Watch the clip here:
Bears undrafted QB Tyson Bagent’s reaction to hearing that Chicago’s No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams received a $25.5 million signing bonus: pic.twitter.com/M4saPiAzU3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 2, 2024
The reaction from backup QB Tyson Bagent says it all:
Williams’ rookie deal came in at four years, $39.49 million fully guaranteed, with a $25.5 million signing bonus. While his new teammates might think that’s a great deal, it actually pales in comparison to what No. 1 overall picks used to sign for 15 years ago before the NFL changed the CBA.
Back in 2010, No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford signed a six-year, $78 million rookie contract with $50 million guaranteed.
NFL rookie deals may not be as big as they used to be, but holdouts are far more infrequent these days, and the players still get a nice payday. The Williams era is going to be electric for the Bears, and the whole country will get to see its earliest days on “Hard Knocks.”
