Bears fans were just handed quite possibly the worst Caleb Williams take ever

Yes, you read that correctly. Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams might "simply walk away" from the game by the time his rookie contract is up and when he has only turned 27 years old.

We have reached prime NFL offseason, apparently, because that's the recent take of one particular individual over at Bleacher Report.

Kristopher Knox whipped up a piece titled "7 NFL Stars Who Could Retire Earlier Than Expected," and included the Bears rookie passer at the end of this list.

First of all, can we talk about the fact that Knox is referring to Williams as a "star?" Sure, Bears fans will hop on that train all day long. Williams is, indeed, a star. And, if his play backs up the star label, why on earth would he retire early?

Wrote Knox:

"With the fifth-year option and future endorsements considered—Williams has already established himself as a brand — he may earn well over $100 million by the end of his rookie contract and at age 27.

In theory, this means the USC product could have the financial freedom to simply walk away if he isn't happy with Chicago's direction, his NFL future or the rigors of being a pro quarterback. That feels unlikely, of course. With quarterback contracts probably being worth $60-70 million annually by the time he's due for an extension."

Knox claims Williams might choose to walk away from the game due to having more than enough money, completely ignoring the fact that the young man's top goal has absolutely nothing to do with financial gains. Williams has publicly stated that his no. 1 goal as a pro is "football immortality." The kid wants to be the greatest to ever do it.

While he may or may not accomplish that lofty item, Williams is clearly far more concerned about winning than he is a bank account. At this stage in the game, he knows he'll be set for life, financially.

There is only one world where Caleb Williams retires early

What other quarterback in recent memory has retired earlier than expected?

Only one "star" comes to mind: Andrew Luck.

And, why did Luck retire?

Injuries. Period. End of discussion.

The only reason why Williams would retire early is if he was (God forbid) bitten with an injury bug which was too difficult to come back from. That's it!

You don't come into the NFL as the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck (oh, the irony), with larger-than-life expectations and goals, only to walk away by the ripe age of 27. Maybe, if you're a running back or linebacker, it makes sense. After all, we've seen that happen, so it's a logical outcome.

Former Cleveland Browns linebacker Chris Borland retired after just one season, back in 2015, citing his reasoning being due to head trauma. And, that's a reasonable decision, considering linebackers absorb quite a bit of blows to the head. But, at the quarterback position?

In the last 20 years, 10 notable draft picks have gone on to be diagnosed with CTE, according to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, and of those players, none are quarterbacks.

The NFL has done nothing but try and protect quarterbacks, more and more, over the past decade or so. Williams is playing a position that the league values more than any other (hello? dollar signs, duh), and if he learns how to protect himself, odds are, he'll be just fine when it comes to potential head trauma.

So, if Williams were to retire early due to injury, it would have to be something other than concerns similar to Borland's. Now, is that a possibility? Of course. We cannot predict what will happen in the realm of injuries.

But, assuming nothing catastrophic occurs, Caleb Williams is going to be around a very long time -- a whole lot longer than the age of 27.

He came to an organization that's been starving at the quarterback position for the better part of their 100-plus-year history. And, we're talking as if Dwayne The Rock Johnson fasted for 48 hours, then plowed through a 3-hour workout, type of starving.

Starving.

Williams can quite literally right the wrongs on a list a that's a century long.

He's not walking away at the end of his rookie contract. Politely and respectfully, we have officially found the worst take of this 2024 NFL offseason.