Caleb Williams Reportedly Wants Partial Ownership Of Whatever NFL Team Drafts Him

Harry How. Getty Images.

PFT- The NFL curiously has slammed the door on teams giving equity to players or employees, before anyone ever actually tried to do it. Since posting an item on the issue earlier tonight, we’ve caught wind of two players who were hoping to score a slice of ownership.

Per multiple sources, the representatives of USC quarterback Caleb Williams had been making it known to prospective agents that Williams wants partial ownership of the team that selects him in 2024, if he declares for the draft.

Likewise, a league source tells PFT that Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers attempted to secure equity in his contract discussions with the Jets. The Jets never had to say “no,” because the league did it for the Jets — and every other team — last week.

The Caleb Williams saga is going to be one that we're going to get tired of quickly. It's a unique situation. As long as Williams stays healthy and doesn't completely shit the bed, he will go number one in next year's draft. He's already got a Heisman Trophy, and now it seems like he's making demands.

About a month back, it was reported that Williams would consider staying in college if the Cardinals ended up with the number one overall pick. I think that's such an insane thing to entertain. It was like the first week of the season, why would you just randomly throw the Arizona Cardinals out there as a member of your shit list. But now it seems like he wants part ownership of a team.

Caleb Williams is a bold man. He played a terrible game last week against Notre Dame, but he is the most hyped quarterback prospect we've seen since Andrew Luck. I think he knows that he holds all the cards here, but will any teams be willing to pony up and actually give him equity? Aaron Rodgers is a multi-time MVP award winner with a Super Bowl in his back pocket, and the Jets still said no.

Ultimately, I think Williams biggest fear is that he falls into a terrible situation. When you get selected number one, that's often what happens. That's the luck of the draw, but we've seen guys like Joe Burrow and Josh Allen turn around their teams relatively quickly. I guess Williams wants to jump to the front of the line. This is only the tip of the iceberg. He's playing a risky game. Either teams fall at his feet, and he looks like a genius, or he ends up tanking his draft stock. Even if that happens, it could still be a win because he'd likely find himself in a better situation. This should be fun.