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USATSI

Less than an hour after being taken with the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams had to make the first big decision of his NFL career: He had to decide what number to wear with the Chicago Bears. 

During his college career, Williams wore No. 13, but he knew that likely wasn't going to be an option in Chicago with Keenan Allen wearing the number. As a matter of fact, Williams was asked just before the draft if he might try to get 13 if he ended up going to the Bears and he sounded like someone who wasn't going to try and steal the number. 

"If it's the Bears, I don't know there's a 13-year Hall of Fame vet there," Williams said of Allen. "So that might be tough."

Instead of making Allen a generous financial offer for 13, Williams decided to make the switch back to his old high school number: 18. 

Williams' new number was revealed by the Bears less then 30 minutes after he was selected. 

Williams originally wore 18 while attending Gonzaga College High School in Washington DC, so he's switching to a number that he's definitely familiar with. 

After Williams got his new number on Thursday night, it's pretty clear that nearly every Bears fan in America was clamoring to get an 18 jersey. The quarterback's new number is already so popular that it smashed every Fanatics sales record. According to ESPN, Williams "broke the Fanatics record for draft night merchandise sales for any draft pick in any sport." The previous record had been set by Caitlin Clark, who saw her jersey fly off the shelves after being selected by the Indiana Fever with the first pick in the WNBA Draft on April 15.

Williams is now the fourth quarterback in Bears history to wear 18, joining Mike Tomczak, Kyle Orton and Steve Senstrom. Tomczak was the first Bears QB to wear 18 and he ended up winning a Super Bowl with them, and now, the Bears will be hoping that Williams can do the same.