INDIANAPOLIS – Caleb Williams, the presumed No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, is attending the NFL Combine without doing medical examinations with teams, multiple sources tell CBS Sports.
One league source believes Williams is the first combine invitee to attend the event after declining the medical exams, which are typically considered to be one of the most essential elements of the combine.
In accepting his invitation, Williams also did not sign off on having his medical records shared with all 32 teams, sources say.
The NFL has for years gotten complaints from draft prospects about the length of time for medical examinations as well as the redundancy of having doctors from all teams examine the same player and ask the same (or similar) questions.
A former Heisman Trophy winner at USC, Williams is expected to be the first quarterback taken in the draft. It’s possible the Chicago Bears will draft Williams in April after trading Justin Fields at some point in the coming weeks.
Williams holds a unique amount of leverage as the presumed top pick. He opted against doing any on-field testing at the combine, which isn’t unusual among consensus top quarterbacks in recent years. He has not signed with an agent, and it’s possible he won’t before the draft.
He was scheduled to meet with eight teams in Indianapolis: the Bears, Commanders, Raiders, Vikings, Falcons, Patriots, Jets and Giants, according to one source. He met with the Bears on Wednesday night in Indianapolis, according to sources.
He’s expected to meet with the media Friday morning in Indianapolis in a session that should last about 15 or so minutes. Williams will work out for teams at USC’s Pro Day on March 20.
ESPN first reported that Williams did not plan to do medical testing at the combine, and further reported he plans to submit to medical exams with teams with which he meets individually during the pre-draft process.
Technically, National Football Scouting (NFS) runs the combine as a third party for the NFL. In recent years, the groups have heard more from players who wish to truncate the medical examinations.
The league has made several attempts in recent years to make the pre-draft process more player-friendly, especially in the era of player empowerment, NIL and a new generation of athlete.
The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order, mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
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Author: Jonathan Jones
February 29, 2024 | 7:50 pm
