Rookies report to Halas Hall on July 16th for Chicago Bears training camp. Usually this would be cause for excitement, but some fans are nervous. That is because both quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze haven’t signed their deals yet. If they don’t do so within the next 24 hours, they will not be allowed to participate in any camp activities. From there, talks will ramp up about one or both players conducting holdouts due to some issue with the structure of the contracts. It is not a distraction the team needs before such an important season.
Dan Graziano of ESPN provided an update on the situation. From what he’s heard, the Bears are not panicking. Progress is being made; it is simply taking some time due to Williams’ unique situation.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided some details on that situation. As everybody has heard, the #1 overall pick doesn’t have an agent. He has a “board of directors,” as Rapoport put it, who handle the business matters. They are made up of lawyers and other advisors. That might explain why the process is slower than normal.
No one seems upset or nervous about it. When asked, Williams shrugged off any concerns, stating his people were taking care of it. By the sound of things, GM Ryan Poles and his contract people aren’t sweating it either. The general sense is that the deal will be done before the matter becomes a problem. Williams will be ready for camp. As for Odunze, there is even less concern about that. He is a far easier situation since he has an agent. That shouldn’t take long to deal with. One can safely assume the Bears want to make sure they get Williams squared away first.
There are even conspiracy theories that the NFL has told the Bears to delay the deals until the last minute. Why? So the HBO cameras for Hard Knocks can document them on camera for the season’s first episode. Whatever the case, getting Caleb Williams on the field is the top priority. He’s already been declared the start. The last thing the Bears need is him missing crucial practices learning the new offense. Odunze, as well. Poles has a reputation for closing such deals. It is best to trust him with this.
