Ever since college players were allowed to make money from their NIL (name, image, and likeness), the young stars have been making truckloads of money — case in point Caleb Williams. The USC QB is one of the hottest prospects entering the draft this season. In his three years of college, the QB has scored an incredible 93 passing TDs and thrown for 9,782 yards.
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His best season came in 2022 when he had his career-best record of 42 TDs helping him win the Heisman Trophy and being named the College Football Player of the Year. His breakout season in 2022 showed the world his potential and thus opened many commercial opportunities for Caleb. As per reports from the Athletic, in the last 2 seasons at USC, Caleb has made a whopping $10 million between NIL money and endorsements.
When many see such gigantic money at a young age, they tend to lose focus and prioritize the wrong things. Caleb Williams however isn’t one of them. In a recent chat with Pete Thamel, Caleb revealed that he has watched countless videos of Michael Jordan and Walter Payton. With the Chicago Bears being speculated to be Caleb’s first NFL team, the QB wants to leave a legacy and be the next big athlete from Chicago like Jordan and Payton. Williams wants to be a legend and hopes to have his name etched in the history books forever.
“As the saying goes, the legends live on. That’s my goal of playing football — it’s not money, it’s not fame … it’s to be immortal. I want to reach that sense of being a legend. Being at the table … and having a rightful seat through hard work and energy and time I’ve put into this game that we all love.”
It’s truly inspiring to see such enthusiasm from Caleb for joining Chicago. The Bears aren’t the most desirable destination for a top QB like Drake Maye and Caleb. However, they do have a solid team with great potential. So it’s great to see the USC player being happy to play for the Bears over the glam and money. But does it mean Williams won’t make much at Bears? Not at all. In fact, he is reportedly set to earn 2.5 times his NIL of two seasons.
Caleb Williams Set to Make Major Bag?
The transition from college football to the NFL is often difficult for rookies owing to the vast difference between the two. In terms of quality of play, talent, pressure, and money, the NFL is much ahead of college football. Especially in terms of monetary benefits. For example, last year’s No.1 overall pick Bryce Young earned a mind-boggling $24.6 million signing bonus from the Panthers.
This sum blew away the few million he was earning through NIL in college. Something similar can be expected this season with Caleb Williams. Unlike Drake Maye, Caleb Williams has a mass appeal for brand endorsements. Add to the fact that he is also a great player on the field, Williams provides value both on and off the field for his team. Hence he is all set to earn a massive payday come this draft pick.
As per Spotrac, no matter his draft pick number, Calem will surely secure at least $23.5 million in signing bonus and minimum salary. This is a massive increase from the reported $10 million he made through NIL in college over 2 years. If everything goes as planned, Caleb Williams is about to shower in some serious cash!
