“Didn’t do the Medical Exam”: Bears GM Ryan Poles Gets Crucial Reason for Passing on Caleb Williams in Favor of Justin Fields

The star of the USC Trojans and his future in the NFL is off to a shaky start. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is projected to be the number 1 QB draft pick at the upcoming NFL Draft. Additionally, the Chicago Bears are supposed to be the landing spot for the youngster, but after his media interviews at the Combine revealing a few unsettling things about him, would the Bears still want to trade Justin Fields?

Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the USC Trojans, has been the pride and glory of his team for the past 2023 season. Though he couldn’t lead the team to a win against the Washington Huskies, his performance impressed the masses, pushing him to the top of the Draft rankings. However, after Williams announced that he wouldn’t undergo medical testing, a lot of eyebrows were raised about his physical prowess. Moreover, the Bears will want to trade their current QB Justin Fields if Williams were to be signed but that decision too, seems to be at a roadblock. Here’s Peter Schrager and his thoughts on why the Bears should prefer to retain Fields rather than bring on Williams.

Peter Schrager believes that Ryan Poles’ decision to sign Caleb Williams is a risky move

On the latest episode of the ‘Good Morning Football’ show, host Peter Schrager spoke up about Williams’ controversial decision to provide his medical evaluation to only the team that signed him instead of all 32 NFL teams. His decision prompted a lot of backlash against him, with a lot of fans claiming that Williams is a risky pick for GM Ryan Poles.

Schrager said, “I don’t think he should trade Justin Fields because he didn’t do the medical exam. He was one of the first players in the history of the Combine to say, ‘You know what, I’m good. You can’t take a look under the lid.’ I don’t know when he’s visiting the Bears, so if you’re Ryan Poles, I can’t trade Fields until I see that Caleb Williams is 100% healthy. So, they’re kind of put in this tough waiting mode and it’s based a lot on them keeping the cards close to their vest and of course, they want to do Justin Fields right but the prudent thing would be not trading him until you at least get a full examination of Caleb Williams.”

Thus, the Bears are stuck in a ditch by not being able to trade Justin Fields and being contemplative of signing Williams as well. But as far as Williams himself is concerned, he spoke highly of the Browns at the Combine as it is the most probable team for the QB.

Caleb Williams speaks up on being picked by the Chicago Bears

There is no doubt about the fact that Williams is the next great quarterback of the newer generation. With a lot of the community terming him as the Patrick Mahomes 2.0, it’s obvious that the fans expect a lot from the USC quarterback. And while he hopes for a top-notch NFL team to sign him, he had nothing but praise for the Chicago team that is most likely going to be his destination.

Williams spoke highly of the team and said, “If I get drafted by the Bears, I’ll be excited. If they trade the pick, and I get drafted by someone else, I’m just as excited. Speaking about Chicago, they have a talented team, a talented offense and defense. For anyone to be in that situation, I think they’d be excited.” He later admitted: “At the end of the day, the Bears have the last say.” It is evident that Williams is enthusiastic about being a part of the Chicago Bears, but his resistance to the medical evaluation might prove to be an obstacle during the drafting process.

Read more: 2024 NFL Draft: Why Every Team Should Be Racing to Secure Caleb Williams as the No.1 Pick

Will the Chicago Bears end up trading Fields and signing Williams? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.