Injured quarterback Caleb Williams didn’t practice Friday, and the Chicago Bears‘ Friday practice before hosting the Philadelphia Eagles gave no hint that his status will change by kickoff Monday night.
That leaves coach Ben Johnson’s offense trusting a stopgap quarterback against a Philadelphia defense already sniffing an opening, with Soldier Field waiting for 38-year-old Case Keenum to take the first snap.
The Bears’ Friday update, the second of three weekly filings due before Monday Night Football against Philadelphia, listed Williams as a non-participant for the second straight day with the hamstring injury that cut short last Sunday’s outing.
Johnson does not expect Williams to practice at all this week and has stopped short of ruling him out, according to ChicagoBears.com‘s Larry Mayer, though nobody around the building treats Monday as likely.
Backup Tyson Bagent isn’t in much better shape. He entered the NFL’s concussion protocol after relieving Williams last Sunday, missed Wednesday’s session at Halas Hall entirely, and returned Friday only to sit out again.
Bagent has yet to clear the protocol, according to NBC Sports, leaving Keenum as the only healthy quarterback on Chicago’s 53-man roster.
| CHICAGO BEARS — INJURY REPORT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 3 • Eagles vs. Bears | |||||
| Pos | Name | Injury | Thurs* | Fri | Sat |
| QB | Tyson Bagent | Concussion | DNP | DNP | — |
| K | Cairo Santos | Right Hip | DNP | DNP | — |
| OL | Joe Thuney | NIR (Rest) | — | DNP | — |
| QB | Caleb Williams | Hamstring | DNP | DNP | — |
| LB | Noah Sewell ^ | Achilles | Limited | Limited | — |
| DB | Tyrique Stevenson | Hamstring | DNP | Limited | — |
| DL | Shemar Turner ^ | Knee | Limited | Limited | — |
| DL | Grady Jarrett | NIR (Rest) | DNP | Full | — |
| RB | Kyle Monangai | Knee | DNP | Full | — |
| *The Chicago Bears did not practice on Thursday; participation was an estimation. ^ Reserve/PUP — 21-day practice window. | |||||
Caleb Williams Update Anchors Crowded Injury Report
Kicker Cairo Santos is a new concern, sitting out for a second straight day with a right hip injury. Chicago carries no backup kicker, meaning a trip to the free agent market becomes likely if Santos can’t answer the bell, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The news wasn’t all bad. Running back Kyle Monangai returned to full participation after sitting out Thursday with a knee issue, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain — the clearest positive of the week. With D’Andre Swift healthy and left off the report entirely, Chicago’s two-back rotation looks intact regardless of who throws them the ball.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson upgraded from a non-participant to limited with his hamstring injury, still short of clearance. Defensive lineman Shemar Turner and linebacker Noah Sewell remained limited after their physically unable to perform 21-day practice windows opened Wednesday, according to ChicagoBears.com — a step toward eligibility, not permission to play. Guard Joe Thuney’s absence was a scheduled rest day.
Left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, working without restrictions in full pads, didn’t appear on the report, positioning him to stabilize the line in front of whichever passer starts. Cornerback Kyler Gordon remains on the physically unable to perform list working off-site, according to ESPN’s team injury tracker.
What Chicago Bears’ Report Signals for Eagles Chances
The report points toward a conservative approach — control the football, lean on the run and ask a limited passing game to avoid mistakes.
The bigger question sits on defense, where Stevenson’s limited hamstring and Gordon’s absence push more snaps toward less experienced cornerbacks against the Eagles attack.
The betting market has noticed. Philadelphia is favored by 3 1/2 points with the total sitting near 43 1/2, according to Covers.com, numbers that fit a backup-quarterback, run-first night better than a shootout.
Santos remains the wild card. A missed kick or a shortened field-goal range could swing a game many expect to stay low-scoring. Saturday’s injury designations are expected to settle the quarterback and kicker questions.
Bears Announce Caleb Williams, 8 More Injury Updates Before Eagles Game