Rumor: Could Lincoln Riley follow Caleb Williams to NFL?

Rumor: Could Lincoln Riley follow Caleb Williams to NFL? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

A rumor recently dropped surrounding the status of USC's star quarterback and head coach.

Are we talking about Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley ... together?

"In NFL coaching circles, the talk is that Lincoln Riley is putting out feelers about taking a job in the NFL next season ..." Scott Wolf wrote for Inside USC. "The word is Riley would be open to an NFL job if he could follow Caleb Williams to the same franchise. If the Chicago Bears had the No. 1 pick, it would probably be ideal for this theory."

Let the record show the Bears have zero reported interest in a move of this degree. They haven't shown any interest in Williams, or moving off of Justin Fields.

However, the Bears have been attached to Caleb Williams' name since they dropped five of their first six games of the season. The Bears' quarterback situation is murky, considering Justin Fields has led them under center to this debacle.

To add fuel to the fire, Fields injured his thumb last game against the Vikings. He has no timetable for return, though he could play on Sunday against the Raiders depending on how this week goes. The Bears are preparing for Tyson Bagent to be the starter, however.

That being said, Fields' future beyond this season isn't promised. What looks more promising than Fields' future, the Bears own the top two picks in the 2024 NFL draft, as of this writing. The Panthers' winless record earns the Bears the No. 1 pick. And their own 1-5 record (plus, their low strength of schedule) earns them the second pick.

They clearly have the best chance at the No. 1 pick; therefore, Caleb Williams. Scouts have been raving about Williams, too. Some suggest he would've been chosen No. 1 over Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence in their respective drafts. The whole lot of them are drooling over his ability to improvise, throw off-platform and be a consistent playmaker.

He's a generational talent, no doubt. But, with the package of Riley? How can you resist?

The 40-year-old coach has a 72-14 record as a head coach in NCAA football. He's coached multiple Heisman-winning and NFL quarterbacks, including Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts.

A coach of his caliber and merit can't help but think of the possibilities at the professional level. And what better way to kickstart your career than by following your best prospect into the league?

Obviously, this kind of move is a long shot. We're talking "I'll believe it when I see it" type of long shot. Riley is on a 10-year contract worth north of $100 million with USC. And there are zero signs the Bears would be interested in this kind of move, or plainly Williams, for that matter.

But, an executed move like this could transcend the Bears from the bottom of the barrel to the top. Quickly.

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