The Chicago Bears are inching toward the return of Caleb Williams, but Ben Johnson stopped short of saying the quarterback is ready to go for Sunday.
That was the central takeaway from Johnson’s October 16 press conference, where the head coach said Williams is making progress after the hamstring injury that has kept him out. The Bears got one encouraging sign Thursday, when Williams was a full participant in practice for the first time since the injury. Even so, Johnson made it clear that one strong session alone won’t be enough to push him back onto the field.
"I'm hopeful we'll have more clarity at the end of the day today," Johnson said.
For Chicago, the timing matters. The Bears are coming off last week’s 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers, and getting Williams back would be a major boost. Still, Johnson wouldn’t go as far as naming him the starter for Atlanta.
"He looked good yesterday for one practice, but we've got to be able to stack a few back-to-back," Johnson explained.
The team has been taking the cautious route with Williams’ workload. He took part in a throwing session Wednesday, then handled a more complete practice Thursday. Johnson said Williams also seemed to come through that work well the next morning.
Even with that progress, the head coach did not commit when asked whether a full practice Friday and no injury designation would automatically mean Williams starts against the Falcons.
Friday’s conversation also touched on Williams’ response to the speculation around his injury. Williams drew attention Thursday when he pushed back on reports about the severity of the issue, and Johnson was asked how the Bears are handling the public side of that situation.
"Our communication's been great," Johnson said. "We've been very transparent with each other on how we want to go about our business right now."
He added that the Bears still want to protect every possible edge.
Later, Johnson said he hadn’t sensed any real frustration from Williams during the recovery process.
"I honestly didn't feel any frustration from him," he said.
Instead, Johnson described a quarterback dealing with something new. Williams has never spent this much time in the training room or had to watch other quarterbacks run the offense, and Johnson said his focus has been on finding ways to help teammates while he’s sidelined.
Johnson also addressed what Williams may have picked up from watching Chicago’s other quarterbacks operate the offense. He said getting the ball out faster remains an area where Williams can improve, especially against defenses that bring immediate pressure. But the Bears do not want him flattening his game in the process.
"We don't want him to change a whole lot of who he is," Johnson said.
That is the balancing act Chicago is waiting on. Williams needs to process pressure and get the ball out on time, but the traits that make him dangerous are still part of the package.
Johnson believes Williams was already trending in the right direction before the injury and expects that growth to continue once he returns. For now, though, the Bears are waiting on medical clearance, and Friday’s practice could be the session that finally gives them an answer.
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