Caleb Williams missed Wednesday’s practice, one of seven Chicago Bears sidelined before Sunday’s game at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, according to the full injury report released by the Bears after Wednesday’s Week 5 opening practice.
Both running backs and three offensive linemen are on the list, and Friday’s report will show whether Tyson Bagent gets the same supporting cast that beat the Jets when he is expected to lead the Bears against their archrival Green Bay Packers.
Offensive lineman Jonah Jackson (ankle), defensive lineman Grady Jarrett (rest), running back Kyle Monangai (thumb/toe), running back D’Andre Swift (hip/knee), offensive lineman Joe Thuney (pectoral), Williams (hamstring) and right tackle Darnell Wright (ankle) did not practice, according to The Athletic.
| CHICAGO BEARS INJURY REPORT — WEEK 5 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears at Packers • Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI • Wednesday Practice Report | ||||||
| POS | Name | Injury | Wed | Thu | Fri | Game |
| OL | Jonah Jackson | Ankle | DNP | — | — | — |
| DL | Grady Jarrett | NIR (Rest) | DNP | — | — | — |
| RB | Kyle Monangai | Thumb / Toe | DNP | — | — | — |
| RB | D’Andre Swift | Hip / Knee | DNP | — | — | — |
| OL | Joe Thuney | Pectoral | DNP | — | — | — |
| QB | Caleb Williams | Hamstring | DNP | — | — | — |
| OL | Darnell Wright | Ankle | DNP | — | — | — |
| LB | Keyshaun Elliott | Quad | LIMITED | — | — | — |
| LB | Noah Sewell ^ | Achilles | LIMITED | — | — | — |
| DL | Shemar Turner ^ | Knee | LIMITED | — | — | — |
| DB | Kyler Gordon ^ | Calf | FULL | — | — | — |
| DB | Cam Lewis | Hip | FULL | — | — | — |
| ^ Reserve/PUP – 21-day practice window • DNP = did not participate • NIR = not injury related • Thursday, Friday and game-status designations not yet reported | ||||||
Chicago Bears Caleb Williams Hamstring Update
Williams suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in the fourth quarter of the Week 2 loss to Minnesota on Sept. 20. He is set to miss a third game.
Coach Ben Johnson already ruled Williams out, saying Bagent “will be the guy” at Lambeau, as quoted by CBS Sports. The public timeline remains “week-to-week,” according to Bears Wire.
Insider Ian Rapoport said Williams could practice next week, which would point toward a Week 6 return against Atlanta.
Running backs Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift form the entire featured backfield, and both sat out Wednesday’s practice session. Monangai ran 30 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the 23-12 win over the New York Jets before leaving late with a right thumb injury.
The thumb is “not an issue,” Johnson said Wednesday, and Monangai simply “feels like he had 30 carries,” as quoted by NBC Sports. Swift ran 15 times for 58 yards, lost a third-quarter fumble and received no more carries, a cut Johnson attributed to the fumble rather than an injury, according to 247Sports.
Thuney’s pectoral designation breaks from the rest days the Bears gave him earlier this season. Wright starts at right tackle. All five of Jackson, Thuney, Wright, Swift and Monangai played Sunday, when Chicago ran 89 offensive snaps, according to reporter Mason Williams.
Chicago Bears Tyson Bagent Outlook at Green Bay
Williams’ absence, Monangai’s status and the Reserve/PUP trio were the anticipated storylines. Linebacker Noah Sewell (Achilles) and defensive lineman Shemar Turner (knee) were limited as their 21-day practice windows continue, while defensive back Kyler Gordon (calf) practiced in full.
Gordon’s window opened Sept. 30, according to Pro Football Rumors. Johnson said the club will decide by week’s end whether any of the three is ready to be activated.
The surprises came on the line and in the backfield. Thuney, Jackson and Wright were not expected on the sheet, and Swift’s hip/knee listing followed Johnson’s explanation that his reduced Jets workload stemmed from the fumble.
Bagent completed 25 of 34 passes for 268 yards and one interception against the Jets, and Chicago is 2-0 in the two games Williams has missed. Case Keenum is the backup.
The report leaves the quarterback plan unchanged. The league-leading ground game now waits on Swift and Monangai, and no third back of comparable usage appears on the report. The line is the other variable for Bagent, and another absence Thursday for Thuney or Wright would threaten the protection he had against the Jets.
Friday’s injury report will set the final outlook for Sunday.
Bears Announce Injury Updates on Caleb Williams, 11 Others Before Packers Game