LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It was a lengthy process, but rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears finally got his rookie contract signed Wednesday.
Williams does not have an NFLPA-certified agent but does have a team of lawyers to help him understand and flesh out all the intricacies involved in NFL contract negotiations.
Several outlets, including NBC Sports Chicago, reported that the Bears and Williams agreed to terms Tuesday. Williams eventually signed the deal Wednesday after both sides ironed out the final language. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported that some of the hurdles in the negotiation included Williams asking the Bears not to use the franchise tag on him after the fifth-year option and inquiring to see if he could be paid as an LLC. Per Florio, the Bears and/or the NFL declined these requests,
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General manager Ryan Poles spoke to the media on Friday as veterans reported to training camp. Poles declined to confirm whether or not Williams made those requests but said the process of working through the contract with Williams was productive.
"It was positive," Poles said Friday. "I think the takeaway that I learned when I first got here with the [Roquan Smith] situation was it just takes a little bit of time and patience. But for this situation, it was positive. It was -- [just] continue to educate, continue to communicate at a high level."
As far as Williams' unique demands, Poles didn't believe the negotiations were out of the ordinary.
“I’m not going to get into the negotiation and what’s asked/what’s not asked. Just for general knowledge, it’s very common for different things to be asked for in the very beginnings of negotiations," Poles said. "So it wasn’t anything shocking in terms of what was being asked for or anything like that. But at the end of the day I’m glad it worked out and pretty kind of standard.”
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As for Williams, the No. 1 overall pick also declined to comment on Florio's report but echoed Poles' sentiment about the positive discussions.
"The ink is dried already and we're past that point," Williams said Friday. "I know I appreciate everybody that was going through it all with myself. So whether it's us being here until 12 on Sunday and Monday -- 12 at night -- working through it, and trying to figure out the whole process and how it goes, I definitely learned a lot throughout this whole process for the next upcoming ones and things like that. Really excited. Can't wait to get it going. Really appreciative of everybody."
With the ink dried on Williams' contract, the new-look Bears are set for a drama-free launch into their new era. The first training camp practice is scheduled for Saturday.