Caleb Williams, the rookie quarterback for the Bears, attempted to negotiate special terms in his contract, but the Bears refused.Caleb Williams, the rookie quarterback for the Bears, attempted to negotiate special terms in his contract, but the Bears refused. Williams wanted to ensure that the Bears would not use the franchise tag on him at the end of his contract, and he also wanted to devise payment strategies that would have resulted in more favorable tax treatment. However, the Bears did not agree to these terms. Williams’ contract contains basic and customary language regarding the potential voiding of future guarantees, as well as compensatory language in case he is fired with years remaining on the fully guaranteed contract.
Quarterback Caleb Williams was creative and resourceful in his attempt to get special terms in his rookie deal with the Bears. Ultimately, the Bears didn’t budge.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Williams ultimately signed a largely standard contract.
That said, Williams will receive his full signing bonus within 15 days.
The deal contains basic and customary language regarding the potential voiding of future guarantees. It also contains compensatory language; if Williams is fired with years remaining on the fully guaranteed contract, the Bears would be compensated dollar-for-dollar for what he would earn with a new team.
Williams, as PFT previously reported, tried to convince the Bears do not use the franchise tag at the expiration of the deal. The Bears refused. Williams also attempted to devise payment strategies that would have resulted in more favorable tax treatment. Once again, the Bears failed to deliver.
Whether a proven, experienced agent could have done better remains to be seen. If an agent ever gets a team to forgo the franchise tag, it would be worth millions to the player, since the team wouldn’t be able to squat on his rights with a one-year contract that’s well below the top of the market.
