Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson still doesn’t have a firm answer at quarterback if Caleb Williams can’t get back in time for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Johnson said Monday the team has not chosen between its backup options, with Williams still working his way back from a hamstring injury, ESPN reported.
“We’re still working through that,” Johnson said. “No determination has been made in terms of what direction we’re going. There are a lot of things that we’re assessing right now.”
That uncertainty comes on the heels of a rough 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers, a game in which Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum were responsible for four of Chicago’s five turnovers. The postgame fallout also included Packers linebacker Zaire Franklin saying Bears receiver Luther Burden "quit".
Johnson’s stance Monday was a shift from the previous week, when he said Bagent had "earned the right" to be Chicago's No. 2 quarterback. In Green Bay, Bagent was pulled after his second interception and finished with 87 passing yards and a 27.4 passer rating.
Keenum took over in the fourth quarter and completed 11 of 19 passes for 108 yards and an interception. When asked if Bagent can still start again, Johnson didn’t rule it out.
“We have three guys that can win games in this league.”
Between them, Bagent and Keenum have posted a combined Total QBR of 56.8 and thrown four interceptions, which is two more than their touchdown total.
Williams, meanwhile, has missed three straight games because of a Grade 2 hamstring strain he suffered in Week 2. He was limited in practice last Friday and then went through an extensive on-field workout in Green Bay on Sunday morning before being ruled inactive.
After the game, Johnson said Williams is "close" to returning, and that the Falcons matchup could be a possibility. On Monday, appearing on ESPN 1000, Johnson said he had not yet weighed whether Chicago’s quick turnaround - with the New England Patriots coming to Soldier Field four days after the Falcons game - would change the plan for Williams.
At the time he got hurt, Williams ranked third in the league with a Total QBR of 85.1 and led all quarterbacks with 107 rushing yards.
"[Williams is] doing a great job progressing, and we'll see when we can make him available to help us win ball games," Johnson said. "But he's itching to get back as soon as he can."
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