As NFL combine week gets underway, the Bears will get a shot to sit down with USC's Caleb Williams for the first time to learn about --- possibly --- their next quarterback.
But don't be mistaken. NFL insider Albert Breer says the Bears are well into their process of evaluating Williams.
"The Bears have done a crapload of work on him already," Breer said on ESPN 1000. "They haven't had the chance to sit down with him in a formal setting. Obviously, they'll have the chance to do that here [at the NFL combine]. But if you're talking about the dad, the family, the USC program, everything, they went out to LA and interviewed Zac Robinson and Kliff Kingsbury and did some backfinding while they were there. The Bears are already really well into their process on Caleb Williams, which I think reflects well on what they're doing and how they're building, and where they're going from here."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
According to a report from NFL Network Williams will not throw at the NFL combine. Considering he's the widely-regarded No. 1 pick in the draft, throwing at the combine probably doesn't behoove him.
Even though he won't be throwing, the Bears can still interview him. Similar to last season, the Bears will have putt-putt and darts set up in their interview room for players to play while they speak with the Bears.
How much does that matter? A lot. The Bears, regardless if they draft him or not, would like to know Williams on a personal level in case he becomes their signal caller, or another team's.
But to Breer, he believes Poles knows in his mind which way he's leaning.
Bears News
"I do think Ryan Poles, despite what he says at the podium, I don't think he doesn't know what he's going to do," Breer said. "He's got a pretty firm idea of where the team is going. I think he probably has a pretty firm idea of where he's going, just like he did when he came to the combine last year."