Caleb Williams not doing "medicals" until his visit to Halas Hall

[baredown]

Team Caleb obviously isn't going to sign a boilerplate medical information release form. Before Caleb visits Halas Hall, there's likely a bit of legal negotiation needed between the Bears and Team Caleb to cover the custody terms of his medical information. I would guess once those Ts & Cs get ironed out, the Bears wouldn't be able to share his medical records with any other team, other than at Team Caleb's explicit direction, NFL SOP notwithstanding. I don't see any reason why the Bears would have an issue with that, assuming he's their guy.

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

That won't be happening until after his Pro Day at USC on March 20th.

From all indications, it shouldn't be an issue. But there are definitely some "what if" scenarios here. And if you think about it like this: The Bears trade Justin Fields, then do a full medical work up on Caleb Williams and find an "uh oh". That would be a disaster for the Bears.

That is the biggest concern here for me. I definitely feel a bit uneasy about the Bears trading their QB before they have everything they need to know to be completely certain on drafting Caleb Williams.

How much of a concern do you guys think this is? And how much of a concern do you think this is for Poles? I'm not going to panic about this or anything, but it definitely is a concern. And it may be a concern going forward as other players opt out of medicals at the NFL Combine.

EDIT: I used the word "concern" a whole lot.

Ok cool.

 

[Bearly]

I like that Poles has an approach of checking off every box before making a decision. He can’t sign off on Caleb without the medical so that decision will not come before that Halas Hall visit.

Fields while somewhat tied to this decision it is not exclusive. They could pick a different QB from both even if it is extremely unlikely. I think to make this trade they have to be comfortable with this possibility. If they are not then you simply wait it out.

Anyone believe that Poles would have turned down the Steelers 1 before the combine? We have our answer.

 

[remydat]

The guy never missed a game in college. I mean I guess there is a chance Bears find out Caleb has a vagina but really this seems like much ado about nothing but meatballs gonna meatball.

 

[Rise]

Anyone believe that Poles would have turned down the Steelers 1 before the combine? We have our answer.

He would not have turned that down, it was never offered.

 

[Applefan]

Doubt it, but say the Bears do trade Fields, then the medicals are not good at all for CW. The Bears would still have Maye and the others to really look at and dammit, BAGENT

Or Russell Wilson if he isn't signed by then. May not cost alot and had the Bears on his list of teams. Also, as beloved as Fields is in the locker room, a qb with a Super Bowl ring may win over some disgruntled players.

 

[sevvy]

The guy never missed a game in college. I mean I guess there is a chance Bears find out Caleb has a vagina but really this seems like much ado about nothing but meatballs gonna meatball.

Meatballs gonna meatball? You don't think it's important to get a player's medical history and current medical status before they trade away their current QB to draft another QB? Lol.

 

[remydat]

Meatballs gonna meatball? You don't think it's important to get a player's medical history and current medical status before they trade away their current QB to draft another QB? Lol.

No. Williams isnt the only QB available in the draft and again he has virtually no injury history.

If they trade Fields before Williams medicals then probably means they have more than one QB they like. If not then they can just wait to trade Fields. Not that complicated.

 

[Myk]

Before Caleb visits Halas Hall, there's likely a bit of legal negotiation needed between the Bears and Team Caleb to cover the custody terms of his medical information.

Seems like it would be pretty standard HIPAA/employment stuff to me.
Medical people get the info and tell Poles yay or nay. If Williams wants to dispute the medical people's decision he has to release the medical people to talk to the people hiring.

In a country of 336,000,000 and pre-employment physicals and drug tests this is not ground breaking stuff.

 

[dbldrew]

That won't be happening until after his Pro Day at USC on March 20th.

From all indications, it shouldn't be an issue. But there are definitely some "what if" scenarios here. And if you think about it like this: The Bears trade Justin Fields, then do a full medical work up on Caleb Williams and find an "uh oh". That would be a disaster for the Bears.

That is the biggest concern here for me. I definitely feel a bit uneasy about the Bears trading their QB before they have everything they need to know to be completely certain on drafting Caleb Williams.

How much of a concern do you guys think this is? And how much of a concern do you think this is for Poles? I'm not going to panic about this or anything, but it definitely is a concern. And it may be a concern going forward as other players opt out of medicals at the NFL Combine.

EDIT: I used the word "concern" a whole lot.

If they find someone wrong with Williams then draft Maye..

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Meatballs gonna meatball? You don't think it's important to get a player's medical history and current medical status before they trade away their current QB to draft another QB? Lol.

This franchise traded away two picks for a QB that had to check his insulin after every INT. 10 or so years later they traded two picks away to draft a guy with epilepsy.

 

[Myk]

This franchise traded away two picks for a QB that had to check his insulin after every INT. 10 or so years later they traded two picks away to draft a guy with epilepsy.

Gaines Adams with an enlarged heart that how many physicals didn't discover?
Kevin White, the list goes on and on.

I don't know what they look for but it must not be much.

 

[baredown]

Seems like it would be pretty standard HIPAA/employment stuff to me.
Medical people get the info and tell Poles yay or nay. If Williams wants to dispute the medical people's decision he has to release the medical people to talk to the people hiring.

In a country of 336,000,000 and pre-employment physicals and drug tests this is not ground breaking stuff.

It's not groundbreaking stuff because employers normally drive the process. If you want to get hired, you play by the employer's rules. But in this instance, Team Caleb is driving the process. The Bears will accommodate because, well, Team Caleb holds the high ground here. Also, this isn't about the results of his medicals, it's about control over the disclosure of those results.

The NFL and NFLPA include within their CBA rules for protection of player medical information. But Caleb isn't an NFL player yet, so those CBA rules don't apply to him. In Caleb's case, that works to his advantage, since Team Caleb is calling the shots in this...

 

[IBleedBearsBlood]

This franchise traded away two picks for a QB that had to check his insulin after every INT. 10 or so years later they traded two picks away to draft a guy with epilepsy.

Haha. What dufus ass franchise was that……………………………………….

 

[Bearly]

He would not have turned that down, it was never offered.

Of course it wasn't. Point was that if it were, Poles would not be waiting for Caleb's medicals to pull the trigger. As in; That's not what's holding up a trade as suggested.

The things that are holding it up are that Atlanta will likely pursue Wilson and the steeler's OC is not especially enamored with Fields. Darnold didn't get traded until March 5th. May be similar for Fields.

 

[Bearly]

This franchise traded away two picks for a QB that had to check his insulin after every INT. 10 or so years later they traded two picks away to draft a guy with epilepsy.

and they used a few picks to draft a QB that needed a brane transplant.

 

[roadwarrior_joe]

Has CW ever been injured? Has he ever missed a game?

What me worry....

 

[Myk]

It's not groundbreaking stuff because employers normally drive the process. If you want to get hired, you play by the employer's rules. But in this instance, Team Caleb is driving the process. The Bears will accommodate because, well, Team Caleb holds the high ground here. Also, this isn't about the results of his medicals, it's about control over the disclosure of those results.

The NFL and NFLPA include within their CBA rules for protection of player medical information. But Caleb isn't an NFL player yet, so those CBA rules don't apply to him. In Caleb's case, that works to his advantage, since Team Caleb is calling the shots in this...

Wow, people really don't know their HIPAA and ADA rights. That's not how pre-employment medical testing works at all.

Actually the NFLPA's website does not mention privacy in their medical rights at all. Why? Because HIPAA and ADA already rule medical privacy because these things are taken care of by covered entities in HIPAA and further protected with discrimination laws.

 

[Dhipur]

He seems to have a mega opinion of himself. Rumors earlier about wanting a stake in the team he joins. Then not throwing at the combine and now not doing medicals.

He might turn out to be the next Tom Brady or Mahomes but he is already behaving as if he is as big as them.

 

[sevvy]

You guys realize that it's not just about injuries, right? Sometimes players have underlying medical conditions that even they don't know about. Sometimes they discover in these medicals that they actually did break a bone or did damage to a ligament/tendon when they pulled up in a game in October, etc.

If they're moving off of Fields no matter what, that's fine. But this is pretty important shit to be so flippant about. Lol.