Despite some recent optimism that Caleb Williams will finally sign his rookie contract, the 2022 Heisman winner is making bold requests in his negotiations with the Chicago Bears.

Per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Bears rejected Williams’ plea to include a clause in his contract that would have prevented them from using the franchise tag upon expiration of his rookie deal.

The Bears did confirm that Williams officially signed his rookie contract on Wednesday.

There was some uncertainty about where things stood between Williams and the Bears with rookies reporting to camp yesterday.

Williams, who doesn’t have an agent, told reporters on Saturday he wasn’t handling contract talks.

“I’m not handling that,” Williams said via the Chicago Tribune. “My lawyers and attorney and everybody, the head of the Bears, everybody up there up top is handling that. That’s not my position that I’m handling.”

However, NFLPA regulations require Williams to be the one in charge of his negotiations because the Bears can’t talk to a non-union certified agent/representative.

There isn’t usually a lot of negotiating that needs to take place since the NFL has a rookie wage scale, but players can seek a larger portion of their contract into a signing bonus and/or timing of the signing bonus payout.

Dak Prescott was able to negotiate a no-tag clause in his contract with the Dallas Cowboys signed in March 2021. Even coming off a major injury, he had tremendous leverage with five seasons of high-level quarterback play and the cost to the team of using the franchise tag on him for a second straight year.

Williams’ reported attempt to negotiate a no-tag clause could cause some panic among Bears fans already thinking he may be plotting a move out of Chicago before playing a snap for the team.

There were rumors early in the offseason that Williams and his camp didn’t want him in Chicago, but he denied that was the case.

“If I get drafted by the Bears, I’ll be excited,” Williams told ESPN’s Pete Thamel in February. “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.”

There should be no concern for Williams about receiving a massive payday if he becomes the player the Bears hope he will be after selecting him No. 1 overall.

The most recent quarterback whose on-field performance would seem to warrant a massive extension but has not received one, at least so far, is Tua Tagovailoa. There are legitimate reasons for that, notably his struggles prior to Mike McDaniel being hired as head coach and injury issues throughout his career.

As long as Williams performs on the field, he will almost certainly become the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL when he signs his second contract because that’s how the process generally works with players at that position.