Caleb Williams won’t throw at 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

USC quarterback and the presumptive first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, won’t throw at the NFL Scouting Combine, multiple league insiders reported Sunday night.

Potential top overall pick #USC QB Caleb Williams will wait until his Pro Day to throw and workout for scouts, sources say. He’ll be in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, but not throw for teams. pic.twitter.com/uITGKO9c37

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2024

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, and Williams’ decision not to throw isn’t a knock against him or his 2024 draft stock.

It isn’t uncommon for top quarterback prospects to wait until their pro day to perform on-field positional workouts. And, let’s be honest: Williams has more to gain from team interviews than he does by showing off his dazzling arm talent. Every general manager, personnel executive, and scout knows he can spin a football. The bigger questions facing his pro outlook are his personality and leadership skills, both of which can be gauged during the brief interactions teams will have with him at the Combine.

Among some of the other top QBs: #Washington’s Michael Penix Jr plans to throw in front of scouts in Indy, #Oregon QB Bo Nix plans to throw, as does #Michigan’s JJ McCarthy. https://t.co/2FyIwxV0tX

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2024

The Chicago Bears are expected to select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick, and his decision not to throw won’t change that. In fact, it’s good news for a Bears team that could look to trade out of the No. 9 selection. With Williams’ superior arm talent on the shelf during the NFL Combine, other quarterbacks will naturally look better. It could inflate their draft stock and make QB-needy teams pull the trigger to move up to the ninth pick (think Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos).

Even if the quarterback prospects underwhelm at the Combine, the Bears still win. It could make clubs feel a sense of urgency to get a deal done for Justin Fields instead of rolling the dice on an unknown and underwhelming rookie.

Caleb Williams doesn’t need to throw at the 2024 NFL Combine. The Chicago Bears don’t need to see him throw, either. Instead, the Bears will focus their energy on learning about Williams the person, and they’ll have a great opportunity to do that this week.