Caleb Williams ended any contract drama Tuesday when he signed his four-year rookie contract with the Bears on the day rookies reported to Halas Hall, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago.
The Bears rookie quarterback's four-year, fully guaranteed contract is worth $39 million. The deal includes a fifth-year option and a $25 million signing bonus. Williams will carry a cap hit of $7.1 million in 2024, per Spotrac, and is the 22nd highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.
Williams does not have an NFLPA-certified agent, which could have been a factor in completing the deal. When asked several times about the contract process, Williams acknowledged that "his team" was working on the contract with general manager Ryan Poles and that his focus was solely on the field.
I’m not handling that," Williams said when asked about his contract in June. "I’ve been focused on these past three days of minicamp, the OTAs before that, and rookie camp before that. I haven’t been focused on that. Poles and my team has been focused on that. I have lawyers and attorneys to handle things like that so I can be free-minded on the field, enjoying coming into work every day and working my tail off.”
Williams signed his contract just two hours after wide receiver Rome Odunze signed his four-year deal.
Bears veterans will report to Halas Hall on Friday, and training camp and the Williams era will begin Saturday.
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