Williams was born on November 18, 2001, inWashington, D.C., later attendingGonzaga College High School, where he playedhigh school football.[1][2] As a sophomore in 2018, he led Gonzaga to a WCAC Championship as the best team in the District, and was namedWashington Post All-Metropolitan 1st team and Washington, D.C.Gatorade Football Player of the Year after he passed for 2,624 passing yards with 26touchdowns and rushed for 394 yards and 10 touchdowns.[1] As a junior in 2019, he was namedWashington Post All-Metropolitan 1st team for the second consecutive year after he passed for 1,770 yards with 19touchdowns and rushed for 838 yards with 18 touchdowns. He was named theElite 11 finals MVP the following summer.[3] In 2020, his senior season was cancelled due toCOVID-19.[4] The highest-rated quarterback prospect of his class, Williams committed to play college football at theUniversity of Oklahoma.[5][6][7]
Williams entered his true freshman season with theOklahoma Sooners in 2021 as the backup toSpencer Rattler,[8][9] before assuming the role as starting quarterback midway through theSooners' rivalry game with theTexas Longhorns in the team's sixth game of the season.[10] In that game, Oklahoma was down 35–17 before Williams replaced Rattler and led the Sooners to a 55–48 victory.[11] He finished with 212 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 88 yards rushing, and a rushing touchdown.[12] Williams made his first start the following week, againstTexas Christian University, and threw for 295 yards, four touchdowns, and rushed for 66 yards and a rushing touchdown as Oklahoma won 52–31.[13] Williams finished his freshman year with 21 passing touchdowns, six rushing touchdowns, and four interceptions in seven games.[14]
On January 3, 2022, Williams entered thetransfer portal, and on February 1, he announced that he had transferred to theUniversity of Southern California to play for theTrojans, reuniting him with head coachLincoln Riley, who had been the head coach for the Sooners before being hired away by the Trojans the previous November.[15][16] Williams was named the starter on August 25[17] and team captain on August 31.[18] In his first start againstRice, he went 19/22 with 249 yards and two touchdowns, as USC won 66–14.[19] He became theAP College Football Player of the Year, USC's first winner sinceReggie Bush in 2005,[20] and was named the 2022Heisman Trophy winner.[21] His 42 passing touchdowns led the NCAA.[22]
Williams and the Trojans went 7–5 in 2023 during the regular season, throwing for 3,333 yards with 31 passing and 11 rushing touchdowns.[23][24] He declared for the2024 NFL draft following the season, finishing his college career throwing for nearly 10,000 yards with 120 total touchdowns.[25]
As is the school's tradition for Heisman winners, his number 13 was retired by USC in 2024.[26]
Williams was widely projected to be one of the first players selected in the2024 NFL draft and the top quarterback in the draft class.[29] His improvisational abilities in college was touted by analysts as one of his biggest strengths, such asESPN's draft analystMel Kiper Jr. describing him as a "fabulous playmaker", though skepticism was levied at his smaller size and tendency to play "hero ball" to find a better play rather than a safer option.[30][31] NFL.com draft writerLance Zierlein andBleacher Report's Derrik Klassen compared Williams' profile toKyler Murray,[27][32] whileFox Sports'Bucky Brooks andCBSSports.com drew parallels toRussell Wilson andSteve McNair.[33][34]
TheChicago Bears selected Williamsfirst overall in the draft. Chicago had received the pick after trading the previous year's first overall selection to theCarolina Panthers, and also acquired receiverD.J. Moore and several other picks in said trade.[35] He was one of six quarterbacks taken in the first round, tied with the1983 draft for the most in NFL history.[36] As his college number 13 was taken byKeenan Allen, Williams switched to his high school number 18 in the NFL; the announcement was made less than half an hour after his draft selection.[37] Williams' draft night merchandise sales value broke aFanatics record.[38]
Williams was named the Bears' starter in May.[39] He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $39.4 million fully guaranteed, on July 17.[40][41]
Williams was the first quarterback selected first overall to win their season-opening NFL debut since 2002, completing 14-of-29 passes for 93 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers in a 24–17 win against theTennessee Titans.[42] Williams recorded his first two career touchdowns and set the Bears' single-game rookie passing record with 363 yards in a 21–16 loss to theIndianapolis Colts in Week 3.[43] After a 1–2 start, Williams led victories over theLos Angeles Rams andCarolina Panthers, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns against Carolina, becoming the first Bears rookie quarterback with multiple 300+ yard games.[44] In Week 6 inLondon, Williams threw four touchdown passes in a 35–16 victory over theJacksonville Jaguars, leading Chicago to their first three-game win streak since 2020 heading into the bye week.[45]
In Week 8 against theWashington Commanders, Williams led a late go-ahead touchdown drive, but the Bears lost on a last-secondHail Mary, later dubbed theHail Maryland.[46] Chicago’s struggles continued with back-to-back losses to theArizona Cardinals andNew England Patriots. The Bears offense failed to score a touchdown and Williams was sacked 15 times, marking the first time since 2004 that Chicago did not score a touchdown in consecutive games.[47][48] Williams ended his four-game touchdown drought in a Week 12 overtime loss to theMinnesota Vikings, throwing for 340 yards, two touchdowns, and setting the Bears' rookie passing yards record.[49] OnThanksgiving against theDetroit Lions, Williams threw three touchdowns and set a rookie record for consecutive passes without an interception, but poor late-game clock management cost the Bears a chance at a comeback as they lost their sixth straight game, resulting in the firing of head coachMatt Eberflus the following day.[50][51] Williams led a game-winning drive in the season finale to snap the Bears' ten-game losing streak and their 11-game skid to theGreen Bay Packers, marking their first win against them since 2018; the victory also prevented Williams from tyingTroy Aikman's record for the most consecutive games lost by a first-overall rookie quarterback.[52][53]
Williams ended his first NFL season with multiple Bears rookie passing records including completions, yards, and touchdown passes.[54] He was also the first Bears quarterback to start every game in a season sinceJay Cutler in 2009 despite being sacked a franchise-high 68 times, the third most in NFL history.[55][53] His streak of 354 passes without throwing an interception was the longest by a rookie and the fourth longest for all passers, a stretch that spanned a team- and NFL rookie-record nine games.[56][57][58]
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