Michael Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson scrutinize Caleb Williams’ decision to skip NFL Combine medical exams

“I would pick him No. 1 overall, but you [Skip Bayless] and Keyshawn have been running back-and-forth about that thing that comes along with him called dad,” Irvin said. “That’s going to be something right there. … And it’s so funny, I was reading an article, and he was talking about hey, you know, he’s guided Caleb’s career. All along, he’s been here and that’s great he has been here, and God bless him. We appreciate that and appreciate any father in his kid’s life, especially with the rap that African American fathers get. So, let’s just say that.

“But, but, but he said he guided his career. I don’t remember seeing you throw a pass. But refusing a medical — this is a strange one because really what you wanna try to do is say, ‘I wanna get the medical out the way.’ Caleb’s never really had any injuries or anything, [so] you wanna get it out the way. … You better believe this may have something to do with dad when I say I’m just not doing the medical.”

Why isn’t Caleb Williams doing medical evaluation at the Combine?

As for why Williams, the presumed No. 1 overall pick, elected not to take the medical exam, he cited that not all 32 teams have a chance at drafting him.

“For the medical stuff, I’ll be doing the medical stuff — just not here in Indy. I’ll be doing it at the team interviews,” Williams said. “You know, not 32 teams can draft me. There’s only one of me. And so, the teams that I go to for my visits, those teams will have the medical [information], and that’ll be it.”

Keyshawn Johnson reacts to Caleb Williams not doing medical evaluation at the Combine

Johnson shed some light on how medical examinations work, saying that it’s not like Williams is getting a medical done by 32 team doctors, but rather one set of doctors who pass that information out to all the teams.

“There’s been some guys that have missed certain parts of the medical exam at the Combine,” Johnson said. “… When you do it [the medical] you don’t visit 32 doctors and 32 teams, that’s not what happens. They got your charts. And they’re looking at every single thing. And then there’s main doctors that are in the room that is doing the examination, and they pass that onto the 32 teams. When you do what they call a visit, which is like a home visit, teams get X amount of players that they get to bring in every single year to their facilities to have dinner, see them, you know they get a day and a half with you or whatever.”

Johnson added that while he has no problem with Williams’ decision, the one aspect he doesn’t like is how it affects teams who may be looking to trade up with the Chicago Bears to draft him.”

“… He will only allow the teams that he visits to do the medical diagnosis on him. Which I’m fine with. I’m OK with that. I have no problem, no issue at all, whatsoever. With that premise, OK, now here’s the problem that you have though: What if the New Orleans Saints sitting at 14 says, ‘We’re gonna pull a Mike Ditka and we’re gonna go up and we wanna get Caleb Williams, but we don’t wanna use one of our 32 visits to bring him in.’ They don’t get an opportunity to get that information now because he didn’t give it to them at the Combine. … I don’t like that part of it.”