It is a forgone conclusion that Caleb Williams will be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and will play for the Chicago Bears. It also appears as though he will wear his number from high school.
Nothing is official and this is purely speculation at this point, but all signs point in that direction.
Let’s break it down!
NFLshop.com allows fans to create a customized jersey with whatever name/word and number they choose. There are a few stipulations, however. The name cannot be anything explicit. Cuss words and slurs are not allowed. They are blocked.
An error message pops up before you hit “add to cart” that reads:
We are unable to customize this item with the text you have entered. Please try a different entry.
What does that have to do with the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and soon-to-be first overall pick?
Bears fans who are trying to get ahead of the NFL Draft can do so by creating a custom jersey. They can put Williams as the last name and put whatever number they choose.
For example, he wore No. 13 in college so fans can create a ‘Williams 13’ jersey.
They cannot create a ‘Williams 18’ jersey. The exact same error message received for explicit phrases pops up.
This was also the case when Trevor Lawrence was drafted No. 1 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. NFL Shop would not allow fans to create a customized ‘Lawrence 16’ jersey.
To go even one step further, Keenan Allen was recently traded from Los Angeles to Chicago. He has worn No. 13 throughout his entire professional career, which began in 2010. It is pretty safe to assume that he will get priority when it comes to that number as such a seasoned veteran.
Caleb Williams wore No. 18 in high school!
And get this!
Dante Pettis signed with the Bears last month. He wore No. 18 the last time he was in Chicago. He will wear No. 81 this time, even though No. 18 is technically still available.
All of this could be wrong and Williams could end up wearing a completely different number. It doesn’t seem that way. The math is adding up!