Eli Manning pulled one of the greatest power moves of all time when he refused to play for the San Diego Chargers because he didn’t like the direction the team was going in – and forced his way to the New York Giants via a draft day trade for Phillip Rivers in 2004.
The trade worked out masterfully for Manning as he became the greatest QB in franchise history and a two-time Super Bowl winner in an illustrious career that spanned two decades.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III often wonders what his career would be like had he not gone to Washington, where his stardom was short-lived because of injuries that derailed his career.
RG3 Says Caleb Williams Should Refuse To Play For Chicago Bears
Griffin said he believes projected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams should do the same and use Justin Fields as an example of why he doesn’t want to go to Chicago.
“With everything that just happened with Justin Fields, can Caleb Williams really look at that and say, ‘This is the organization that has my best interest at heart, and they are going to help develop me into the player I want to become,’” said Griffin, the No. 2 pick by Washington in the 2012 NFL draft.
Chicago Bears Sold Justin Fields Short
Griffin’s main issue is the compensation that the Bears got back for Fields. RG3 says the team should have accepted one of the better offers. So, from his perspective, they devalued Fields and considered him a throwaway at 25 years old.
That may have rubbed RG3 the wrong way, but the prevailing thought is that the Bears wanted Fields to land in a place that he felt comfortable and could eventually reach his potential. They appear to have taken the business L in order to do him a favor, but RG3 didn’t see it that way.
“I thought [Bears GM] Ryan Poles was having an amazing offseason up until this trade for Justin Fields. You trade Justin Fields to get some players back to help your team out this year.” Griffin said. “Because Ryan Poles and [head coach] Matt Eberflus, they are in a lame duck season. They have to win this year or they are going to get fired.”
Chicago Has Poor Track Record Developing Passing Quarterbacks
Chicago is known for the same thing it has been known for over the past 75 years: a ground and pound attack and defense. While the rest of the NFL has joined the air revolution, Chicago remains the only franchise without a 4,000-yard passer, which is almost impossible in today’s NFL. The franchise hasn’t been able to draft a sustainable QB and place pieces around him to help that quarterback elevate his game.
If the Bears do draft Williams with the No 1 overall pick, expect him to have some high demands and perks within his contract. Rumors have floated for months that Williams and his camp aren’t happy with going to the Bears who have shown no signs of being able to handle a multi-dimensional, unique quarterback like Williams, who has tried to squelch any notion that he would refuse to play in Chicago, in a recent ESPN interview.
“If I get drafted by the Bears, I’ll be excited,” Williams said. “If they trade the pick, and I get drafted by someone else, I’m just as excited.”
Most NFL insiders have reported that Williams to Chicago is a done deal, but situations such as Eli Manning in 2004 do happen. If any player had a right to refuse to go to a team it’s Caleb Williams, and RG3 agrees. Look no further than their past two quarterbacks drafted. Williams had a sensational second season at USC, throwing for 3,633 yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions.
We will quickly find out if it was Justin Fields or the Chicago Bears system that wasted fans’ time the last four seasons.
