Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson said Sunday that Caleb Williams is nearing a return from his hamstring injury and could be back under center as soon as next week in Atlanta, though he stopped short of naming him the Week 6 starter.
The timing matters. Johnson spoke minutes after Green Bay’s defense picked off his two backup quarterbacks three times without allowing either a touchdown pass, sealing a 31-7 Packers win at Lambeau Field, a defeat that dropped Chicago to 3-2 and left it two games behind the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North.
“He’s on track,” Johnson said in his postgame news conference. “We’ll see if that’s Atlanta or after. I think it’s going to be close.”
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Where Williams stands
Williams has now missed three straight games since straining his right hamstring without contact in the Week 2 loss to Minnesota. The injury was diagnosed as a Grade 2 strain. He returned to the practice field on a limited basis on Friday, was listed as questionable for the Packers game and, according to reporting from Chicago, went through a lengthy workout at Lambeau Field several hours before kickoff. The Bears still chose to keep him out.
Before the game, Mike Garafolo reported that Williams was pushing to play in Week 6. Neither the club nor Johnson has committed to that, and Williams’ practice participation over the coming days will be the clearest signal. The Bears have not said whether he would be limited in any way if he is cleared.
In his appearances before the injury, Williams completed 36 of 55 passes for 407 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and he ran for 107 yards.
A quarterback room under strain
Chicago won both of its first two games without Williams: Case Keenum started a 27-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles while Tyson Bagent was in the concussion protocol, and Bagent then led a 23-12 win over the New York Jets. Sunday went very differently.
Bagent completed 12 of 21 passes for 87 yards with two interceptions and was sacked twice before Johnson pulled him early in the fourth quarter, after Green Bay had stretched its lead to 31-7. Keenum finished 11 of 19 for 108 yards with an interception. The Bears turned the ball over five times, converted 4 of 14 third downs and managed 246 yards at 3.6 yards per play. Their only touchdown was a 1-yard run by D’Andre Swift late in the second quarter.
Johnson did not name a starter for Atlanta if Williams is not ready.
What comes next
The Bears visit the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Chicago’s first injury report of the week, due Wednesday, will show how much Williams is practising. Follow his status on the injury report.
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