USC quarterback Caleb Williams visits Halas Hall in latest step toward likely union

As has been the case for months, Williams is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick when the Bears draft on April 25.

By Patrick Finley

Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams leads the USC Marching Band after the Trojans beat UCLA 48-45. — USC quarterback Caleb Williams leads the marching band after beating UCLA in 2022.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams visited Halas Hall on Wednesday, sources confirmed, as he and the Bears move closer to being united later this month. As has been the case for months, Williams is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick when the Bears draft on April 25.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles said last week that he expected Williams to travel to Halas Hall this week for one of the team’s 30 official visits allowed by league rules. Team officials also took Williams to dinner during his stay.

Williams was the first player in the modern era of the NFL to skip the medical evaluations at the NFL Scouting Combine, saying he would do so only during private visits with teams. The Bears were not concerned about his medical history — he didn’t miss a start in two years at USC due to injury.

It’s unclear if Williams will visit other NFL facilities in the three weeks before the draft.

The Bears sent at least nine coaches, scouts and front-office members to Williams’ pro day on the USC campus last month. The trip included dinner with his USC teammates — “They don’t like him; they love him,” Poles said — and a strategy session with Williams in the Trojans’ football offices. Coach Matt Eberflus talked to Williams one-on-one for about 80 minutes on campus.

Eberflus said last week the Bears had a plan for his Halas Hall visit this week. They wanted to continue installing the offense they started teaching Williams in Los Angeles — and get to know him better.

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“We’ll keep continuing on that journey, teaching him more of the offense and then having him give it back to us and see where he is that way . . .” Eberflus said. “Spend some more time visiting with him. He’ll get a chance to spend some more time with the offensive staff that wasn’t there at the pro day. It’s gonna be good.”

Last week, Poles called the pending visit “another touch point” in the team’s research, saying he wanted to “make sure that there’s compatibility there.”

The Bears are expected to host Washington receiver Rome Odunze, a target with the No. 9 overall pick, on Thursday, per NFL Network.