Here’s why Caleb Williams said he was surprised when the Bears traded Justin Fields

The moment the Chicago Bears secured the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it was obvious: GM Ryan Poles would select his quarterback and, one way or another, end the Justin Fields era.

Bears fans hoped Chicago would net more than a late Day-3 pick in 2025 from the Pittsburgh Steelers for Fields, but the fact Poles accepted Pittsburgh’s offer was, in part, motivated by his desire to clear the runway for Caleb Williams, the expected first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

But before Williams could be deemed a lock for that first pick, the Bears had to do their due diligence, which usually includes player visits, medicals, and more.

In the case of the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams, none of that was necessary for Poles to pull the trigger on a Fields trade and roll the dice on Williams as his guy. It was a surprising gamble by Poles. It even shocked Williams.

“I was in the car. I was driving to a business meeting. I’m listening to music. I’m bobbing my head. I probably got on Drake. I’m chilling,” Williams said during a recent appearance on “The Pivot.” ‘I’m in West Hollywood driving to a business meeting and all I see is my phone explodes. Whether it’s actual regular fans or whether it’s ESPN or whatever the case may be. I pick up my phone, and it’s going off, and I’m trying to figure out because it went from nothing to maybe a couple texts to phone. I end up calling a couple people and was just like, ‘Welp, we know where their mind and heart is at in this instance.’ Let’s prepare and get ready and handle things accordingly and still do our due diligence on the situation and things like that.