Training camp is less than two weeks away. Optimism is sky-high among Chicago Bears fans. Training camp tickets sold out within minutes of becoming available. Everything is building up towards one of the most highly-anticipated seasons in a decade. By far, the biggest reason for this is quarterback Caleb Williams. He became the Bears’ #1 overall pick in the draft. It marked the first time the franchise had ever done anything like that in history. Many feel that the former Heisman winner is one of the best to have come out of college since Andrew Luck.
Everybody can’t wait to see him. Unfortunately, a lingering issue could prevent that from happening. Williams still hasn’t signed his rookie contract. Adam Schefter of ESPN revealed that the quarterback is hoping to gain some wiggle room in negotiations, trying to upend a system that has been in place since 2011. This leads many to wonder if he is planning a holdout if he doesn’t get what he wants. Former scouting director Greg Gabriel isn’t concerned about that. He believes Williams will sign his deal. It certainly helps that he has a prominent name advising him.
This is where it gets interesting. Back in February at the Scouting Combine, there were reports that the Williams camp had hired a certified agent as an “advisor.” That person is reportedly Tony Agnone from EAS Football in Maryland. It has never been officially announced that Agnone is an advisor, but several in the agent community believe that to be the case.
If Agnone is, indeed, the person who will negotiate the contract for Williams, it will get done as quickly as they want it to get done. It isn’t a hard negotiation as it’s a rookie contract and is slotted as part of the CBA between the NFL and the Players Association.
Agnone, who has been in the business for well over 40 years, has the reputation of being a very fair agent who does excellent deals. His biggest client was Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.
When the contract is done, it should be a little better than the contract that Bryce Young, last year’s top pick, got in Carolina. Young’s contract was for a total of $37,955,074.00 over four years, all of which is guaranteed.
It sounds pointless, considering rookie contracts are largely set in stone. There isn’t much to fight for other than guarantees and injury protection. Still, Agnone has a ton of experience dealing with the CBA rules and likely knows all of the loopholes to get his clients favorable deals. While he may not be Williams’ official agent, his advice will certainly be heeded. Don’t forget Carl Williams, Caleb’s father, is a prominent businessman. He is smart enough to know when he’s getting good information.
The tricky part is Caleb Williams himself. By not hiring an agent, he is the only one who can officially negotiate with the Bears. Nobody else can do it. While nobody doubts his intelligence, these things can be somewhat tedious. His lack of experience would explain why no deal has happened yet. Getting all of the language in a contract right is complicated. Agents get paid to deal with it every day. Williams is a quarterback. He’s dividing his time between negotiations and preparing for camp. Hopefully, he gets it figured out.
