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INDIANAPOLIS – Caleb Williams, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft NFL draftis attending NFL Combine without doing medical exams with teams, multiple sources tell CBS Sports.
A league source believes Williams is the first combine invitee to attend the event after declining medical exams, which are typically considered one of the most essential elements of the combine.
In accepting his invitation, Williams also did not approve his medical records being shared with all 32 teams, sources say.
For years, the NFL has received complaints from draft prospects about the length of medical exams, as well as the redundancy of every team’s doctors examining the same player and asking the same (or similar) questions.
Williams, a former Heisman Trophy winner at USC, is expected to be the first quarterback selected in the draft. Chicago Bears likely to draft Williams in April after trading Justin Fields sometime in the next few weeks.
Williams has a unique amount of leverage as the presumptive No. 1 pick. He chose not to do any field testing on the combine, which is not unusual among the consensus best quarterbacks in recent years. He hasn’t signed with an agent and it’s possible he won’t sign before the draft.
He was scheduled to meet with eight teams in Indianapolis: the Bears, Commanders, Raiders, Vikings, Falcons, Patriots, Jets and Giants, according to a source. He met with the Bears Wednesday night in Indianapolis, according to sources.
He is expected to meet with the media Friday morning in Indianapolis in a session that should last about 15 minutes. Williams will train for teams at USC’s Pro Day on March 20.
ESPN first reported that Williams did not plan to take medical tests at the combine, and further reported that he plans to undergo medicals with teams he meets with individually during the pre-draft process.
Technically, National Football Scouting (NFS) administers the combine as a third party for the NFL. In recent years, groups have increasingly heard from players who want to truncate medical exams.
The league has made several attempts in recent years to make the pre-draft process more player-friendly, especially in the era of player empowerment, NIL and a new generation of athletes.
2024 NFL Draft will take place April 25-27 in Detroit. More draft coverage can be found on CBSSports.com, including the weekly updated draft order, mock drafts and a regularly available look at eligible prospects.