QB Caleb Williams would 'be excited' if Bears draft him, set to meet with eight teams at combine

USC quarterback Caleb Williams, viewed as a likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, said he'd be thrilled to be selected by the Chicago Bears, doing his best to clear up rumblings to the contrary.

"If I get drafted by the Bears, I'll be excited," Williams said in an interview with ESPN's Pete Thamel published on Wednesday. "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."

Williams is scheduled to arrive Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and is expected to meet with the Bears, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Williams will take part in meetings, but will forego testing and on-field work, which he's expected to do in USC's pro day on March 20.

In his interview with ESPN, Williams expunged any notions that he would ask to be traded rather than play in Chicago. 

"I'm not pushing any agenda," he said. "At the end of the day, the Bears have the last say. Regardless of how I feel, I'm not pushing an agenda of, 'Yeah, I want to go. Or no, I don't want to go.' I'm excited for whatever comes."

Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who has yet to announce if he intends to trade Chicago starter Justin Fields and/or keep the No. 1 pick, was asked Tuesday if he had any concerns about the rumored reservations of Williams playing in the Windy City.

"No. No. No concerns about that at all," Poles said. "I would love to know why, if that was the case. Like I said, I think as a young quarterback, and I've