Colorado football coach Deion Sanders opined this week on the 2024 NFL Draft, specifically USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who’s expected to go No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears after the franchise’s decision to trade Justin Fields. Sanders delivered a stern warning to the former Heisman winner, detailing how the weather in the Windy City could play a factor in his success.
“Let me tell you something that I have a problem with,” Sanders said this week on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio, as transcribed by Pro Football Talk. “And this kid can flat out play, I think he’s the best one on the board this year for sure. A kid that’s coming from California for the last couple years, right? And went to Oklahoma. That’s not terribly cold. Chicago’s cold, man. You gotta think about that kind of stuff when you’re taking a young man. Like see, when you take a guy from Ohio State and you bring him to Chicago, OK, I could understand that. But from California to Chicago? Not only that, they added what? One or two more games in the NFL. Seventeen games.
“Come on, man. You gotta factor in that stuff. That stuff matters. Like, I don’t want my kid (Shedeur Sanders) going nowhere cold next year. He grew up in Texas. He played in Jackson, played in Colorado. Season’s over before it gets cold in Colorado. I’m just thinking way ahead. I don’t want that for him.”
Williams is anxious to get started at the next level and said last month he no preference on where he’s selected. Contrary to previous reports of Williams wanting to go to a specific team, specifically in Washington with former USC analyst Kliff Kingsbury, one of the most-talented players this cycle said Chicago would be a fine fit this week.
“If I get drafted by the Bears, I’ll be excited,” Williams told ESPN. “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.”
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Williams was the No. 1 overall transfer recruit out of Oklahoma, and a five-star quarterback from Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga High School. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns as a sophomore at USC. As a junior in 2023, Williams completed a career-best 68.6% of his passes with 3,633 passing yards and 30 touchdowns prior to his NFL Draft declaration.
