Former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams will be one of the major storylines at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis starting next week.
Williams is considered the consensus top player in the 2024 NFL Draft. At this point, it’s likely that he’ll go off the board to the Chicago Bears with the first pick in the annual event.
But Williams is making some news relatively early in the pre-draft process. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the star quarterback has yet to hire an agent. Per the report, he plans on going through the entire process without a certified agent representing him.
The list of draft-eligible players and their agents, published by the NFL Players Association on Wednesday, does not include the former USC quarterback. After sending a couple of texts, we’ve confirmed that Williams has not hired an agent — and he apparently does not plan to do so,” report on Caleb Williams.
Related: 5 USC Stars, Including Caleb Williams, Invited To NFL Scouting Combine
What Caleb Williams Decision Means For NFL Draft Stock
Very little. Sure, agents that are representing other top-end quarterback prospects such as Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels will now look to get their clients drafted ahead of Williams. But that’s not going to happen. We’re talking about a generational quarterback prospect and someone who is pretty much guaranteed to go No. 1 to Chicago.
It also must be noted that the current NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement calls for a rookie wage scale. Locked in at No. 1, Williams will be paid what he’s due for that spot. Off-set language and such could come into play. But it doesn’t appear to be a huge deal.
We have seen players attempt to represent themselves in contract talks. Most recently, that included reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. He ended up getting a player-friendly deal from Baltimore after some major drama behind the scenes in contract talks.
As for Williams, he’ll be on display during the combine starting next week. The star quarterback will meet with teams and attempt to lock on his spot as the top pick in the draft. Heading into Indianapolis without an agent can’t be seen as a huge deal.