The Chicago Bears will be without star quarterback Caleb Williams for Monday night’s matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Williams sustained a right hamstring injury while attempting to make a run in the fourth quarter during Week 2’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and head coach Ben Johnson told reporters last week that Williams is “week-to-week.”
“We’ll see where he’s at as the week progresses and how long that means,” Johnson said, “but it was somewhat encouraging, the report that we got, so I’ll leave it there.”
Williams has not missed a game since being drafted No. 1 overall by Chicago back in 2024.
Latest News on Bears Star QB Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams was replaced by backup QB Tyson Bagent, who went 5 of 9 for 54 yards. However, despite Bagent clearing the NFL’s concussion protocol, it’ll be none other than 38-year-old veteran Case Keenum who gets the starting nod as the Bears’ QB1 for Monday Night Football. Likely due to the Bears’ organization taking a cautious approach regarding Bagent’s concussion, despite being cleared by the NFL.
Keenum has not appeared in a regular-season game since 2023 and will look to help Chicago secure a win at home against Philadelphia.
As for Williams, insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport report that he has a Grade 2 hamstring injury that puts his recovery timeline up to around 3-4 weeks.
“This doesn’t mean that Williams, whom the Bears have touted as a quick healer, couldn’t return sooner than that timeline,” Schefter and Rapoport wrote. “It just means that doctors believe this type of injury normally takes three to four weeks of recovery and that is the doctors’ best estimation of how long it could take Williams to recover.”
However, Ben Johnson told ESPN 1000 that he won’t rule out the possibility of Williams coming back sooner than expected.
“This guy’s a little bit different than the average human being. … He gets back — he has in the past — a lot faster than what people can anticipate, and so I’m not putting a timeline on this.”
Case Keenum Ready for the Opportunity
Despite not appearing in a regular season game in three years, Case Keenum is ready for the opportunity to earn his team a win on primetime.
“I feel very prepared,” Keenum said. “It’s what I do every week. It’s what I’ve done for a long time. I’ve backed up a long time in this league. If my name’s called, I’m excited to be out there.”
Ben Johnson gave his thoughts on Keenum, saying, “He’s been a baller from the day he was born from what I can tell. He’s got that way about him. He’s got a knack. His teammates gravitate to him. I think that’s a good starting point for a quarterback. And of course he’s up there in years a little bit, but that experience has really paid off for him. He sees the game the same way we do.”
For today’s game, it’s Keenum. Perhaps in Week 4 against the New York Jets, Caleb Williams will make his return.
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