The Chicago Bears have spent the week waiting on one hamstring. Caleb Williams was a full participant in practice Wednesday and Thursday, but Ben Johnson still hasn’t said who takes the first snap Sunday in Atlanta if his franchise quarterback isn’t cleared.
If Williams can’t go, it comes down to Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum, and Johnson has kept that answer to himself. Bagent took the second reps behind Williams in individual drills Thursday, the Chicago Tribune’s Sean Hammond noted. Williams said a call comes after an end-of-week stress test, so fans from Wrigleyville to the western suburbs may be waiting until close to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff on FOX.
Who starts for the Bears if Caleb Williams can’t play?
Johnson hasn’t tipped it. Asked Monday who would start if Williams sat, he wouldn’t commit to Bagent, who took most of the snaps in the previous two games. “We have three guys that can win games in this league,” Johnson said, according to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
The case for each is pretty simple. Bagent led the 23-12 win over the Jets, but he was benched in the fourth quarter at Green Bay after his second interception. He has completed 42 of 64 passes for 409 yards with no touchdown passes and three interceptions this season, according to Pro Football Reference.
Keenum has been steadier on paper. He threw for 247 yards and two touchdown passes in the 27-7 win over the Eagles and sits at 35 of 53 for 355 yards, two touchdown passes and one interception. He also threw a pick in relief at Lambeau, so the Bears have a backup quarterback problem either way.
Will Caleb Williams play against the Falcons?
Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Every sign points that way, but nobody has said it yet. Williams has missed three straight games since hurting his right hamstring against the Vikings on Sept. 20, and he opened up Thursday about how bad it was.
“It was a hamstring tear,” Williams said, “and a pretty serious one,” as The Athletic reported. He also explained what still stands between him and the field. “We’ll go through the stress test this week, and at the end of the week we’ll make a decision if I’m good to go or not,” Williams said, per the team’s website.
Back-to-back full practices are a strong sign. The catch is the schedule, since the Bears host the Patriots four days later on Thursday night. Before he got hurt, Williams completed 36 of 55 passes for 407 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception in two starts. The offense may need him in a shootout if Atlanta starts fast.
How will the Bears replace Montez Sweat?
The NFL suspended Sweat two games Tuesday for violating its performance-enhancing substances policy, so he’ll miss Atlanta and the Patriots game and is eligible to return Oct. 23. He has two of the team’s 12 sacks and costs himself about $2.3 million in game checks, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
“We’re disappointed whenever we lose a player of his caliber for multiple games,” Johnson said, via the Bears’ website. “Next man up and we keep moving.”
The bigger problem is that the next man up is also hurt. Dayo Odeyingbo, who has three sacks, left Green Bay with a quad injury and hasn’t practiced. Johnson said “it is likely he’ll miss some time here.” That leaves Austin Booker, who sacked Jordan Love twice at Lambeau, plus Shemar Turner, back on the roster after last year’s torn ACL. We broke down what the Bears can do to patch it.
Can the Bears stop Bijan Robinson?
That’s the matchup that should worry people most. Robinson has 580 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry, and Atlanta averages 166.8 rushing yards per game. He ran for 194 yards against Green Bay in Week 3 and 145 at New Orleans the next week.
“We’ve got a big challenge coming up in terms of the running game,” Johnson said at Halas Hall Wednesday.
Chicago has held up fine so far, allowing 96 rushing yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry. But that was with Sweat and Odeyingbo setting the edge, and linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) hasn’t practiced this week either. Michael Penix Jr. is expected to start through a rib injury, so Chicago can’t just load the box. The Bears opened as 3.5-point favorites, and that number assumes the front holds up.
When will Kyler Gordon return for the Bears?
Possibly as soon as Sunday. Gordon has been on the physically unable to perform list with a calf injury, and the Bears opened his practice window Sept. 30. He was a full participant Wednesday and Thursday.
The Bears have until next week to activate him, and Johnson said the plan all along was patience. “Our intent with Kyler from the get-go was to make it through these 21 days,” he said, per the team’s site. That makes the Patriots game a natural target, though the depleted front could change the math.
Getting him back matters. Gordon has been Chicago’s nickel corner since 2022, and Tyrique Stevenson (hip) was limited this week. Against Drake London and Kyle Pitts, the Bears need every healthy defensive back they can get. We tracked his targeted midseason return back in the summer.
More on the Chicago Bears
- Rome Odunze Says the Bears Feel Caleb Williams’ Absence as His Hamstring Return Nears
- Bears Week 6 Final Injury Report: Game Day Status
- Luther Burden III is Bears X-Factor in Week 6 and Beyond
- 4 Thoughts Ahead of Bears Week 6 Battle in Atlanta
