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Could Bears QB Caleb Williams be next gridiron star, hobby target?
The Chicago Bears did some fancy footwork to reshape their passing game, executing a number of creative and fortuitous steps to land Caleb Williams.
The maneuvering actually started in April 2023. In a blockbuster trade with Carolina, the Bears dealt their first-round pick (which for the Panthers became QB Bryce Young) in exchange for All-Pro wide receiver D.J. Moore and a suite of draft picks. The incoming selections included first and second-round picks in 2023 and—importantly—the Panthers’ No. 1 pick in 2024.
That’s where the gridiron gods smiled on Chicago. Because of Carolina’s NFL-worst 2-15 record last season, the Bears’ No. 1 pick became the first overall selection.
The Bears then shipped Justin Fields—once their great hope for the future—to Pittsburgh to open up the QB spot and made Williams their man.
Caleb Williams is—you’ve heard this before—a can’t-miss prospect. In college, he played one season for Oklahoma (2021), posting a 5-2 record and throwing for 21 TDs vs. only four interceptions. Then he transferred to the University of Southern California. At USC, he had an 18-8 record in 2022 and 2023, throwing for a combined 72 touchdowns vs. only 10 interceptions. Along the way, he earned a Heisman Trophy, beating out quarterback Max Duggan and C.J. Stroud as a junior.
Now Williams is poised to lead the Bears’ offense. If all goes well, he’ll emerge as a new-era hobby hero. He’s already drawing tons of attention among collectors. As training camp gets into full swing, more than 10,000 Williams-related items are listed on eBay. Among the 7,000-plus sold, the highlights include items selling for four-figure prices.
Here’s a sampling of nine Williams cards that have sold in recent weeks, each preceded by its realized auction price.
• $3,750 on 34 bids for a 2023 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Goodwin Champions autographed patch card. It was marked #4/5 and ungraded.
• $1,914 on 42 bids for a Topps Now triple-autographed Orange card marked #1/5. Along with the signature of Williams, the card also features the sigs of two other rookie QBs: No. 2 and No. 3 picks Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders and Drake Maye of the New England Patriots.
• $1,725 on 2 bids for a 2022 Bowman University Chrome Prospects signed Orange Shimmer. Graded PSA 10, this one was marked #17/25.
• $1,482 on 27 bids for a 2023 Bowman University Early Risers Superfractor. This ungraded #1/1 card was autographed by Williams.
• $1,425 on 61 bids for a 2023 Panini Flawless autographed Jersey Swatch card. Graded PSA 10, it was marked #6/10.
• $1,400 on 33 bids for a 2023 Panini Flawless signed patch card . Graded PSA 10, this one was marked #3 / 5.
• $1,353 on 54 bids for a 2023 Panini Prizm autographed Green Shimmer Saturday Star Draft Picks card. It was graded PSA 10 and marked #8/8. A variation of this card (marked #10/25) sold for $1,205 on 46 bids.
• $1,225 on 23 bids for a 2023 UD Authentic Goodwin Game Jersey card. Marked #20/25, it was ungraded.
• $1,130 on 29 bids for a 2023 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection signed Auto Relic card marked #10/10. It was ungraded.
