The Bears are expected to have Caleb Williams back under center Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, with multiple reports saying Chicago is planning to start the quarterback in Week 6.
Williams has been sidelined for three games because of a torn hamstring, but he returned to practice this week at full capacity and took the first-team reps. He is officially listed as questionable, though the way the week unfolded pointed toward a return.
Before the injury, Williams appeared in two games. Chicago beat the Carolina Panthers 59-37 in one of those outings, then lost 9-3 to the Minnesota Vikings in the game where he suffered the tear. Across those two appearances, he completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 407 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
There was also more fuel for the comeback buzz on Saturday. Williams reposted a TikTok compilation that led many to believe he was signaling his return.
The video opened with criticism of how he reacted when he was injured, then cut to a message from a fictional character from the Chicago-based show "The Bear," who says, "I think that flicked a switch in me where I was like, f--- you. Watch this."
After that, the clip rolled into highlights of Williams in action.
The 24-year-old has been clear about how he feels people handled the injury. When he was carted off, he gave a thumbs-up and raised his fist, which made the injury look less serious to some viewers than it actually was. Soon after, there were reports that he might not miss a game at all.
Williams said this week that his "character has been attacked" and told the media, "It was a hamstring tear and a pretty serious one. We got a grade, but I wouldn't say it's deserved to be put out there after all the false ones. So next question."
In his place, the Bears have gone with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum, and they managed to win two of the three games Williams missed. Still, Chicago is coming off a 31-7 defeat to the Green Bay Packers, and the quarterback situation got messy in Week 5 when head coach Ben Johnson benched Bagent for Keenum. Bagent finished 12-of-21 for 87 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns, while Keenum went 11-of-19 for 108 yards with one interception and no touchdowns.
Williams’ return would give Chicago a needed lift on offense. The Bears are 3-2 in a division that remains tight, with the Vikings sitting atop the standings and still unbeaten.
Drafted No. 1 overall in 2024, Williams helped push the Bears to the playoffs in his second season with the team. He also did not miss a game across his first two seasons.
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