The Chicago Bears went from bracing for the worst with Caleb Williams to suddenly being able to take their time.
Not long ago, Williams’ injury looked like it could wreck the season. The expectation was a 3-4 week absence, and even then there was uncertainty about whether the Bears could keep things afloat. At that point, matchups with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets looked daunting, and Chicago’s outlook felt shaky at best.
Two weeks later, the picture is completely different. Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent both picked up wins, and the Bears are sitting at 3-1, trailing only the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. That turnaround has given Williams room to recover without the kind of urgency that often pushes players back too soon.
That matters. Williams no longer has to feel any pressure to rush his return before he’s fully healed. Chicago now has the luxury of letting him get all the way back to full strength, which is a credit to Ben Johnson’s coaching and to the front office for building out two backup options who could hold the line.
The offense has obviously shown its limits without Williams. Bagent and Keenum are not the full package the starter is. But both handled their jobs well enough to keep the Bears moving and, just as importantly, to keep the season from slipping into emergency mode.
Those two wins changed everything. If Chicago had dropped both games, the team would be staring at a much tougher path and Williams would almost certainly be facing louder pressure to return quickly. Instead, the Bears are in control of the moment.
The coaching staff deserves plenty of credit for that. Dennis Allen’s defense has delivered back-to-back strong performances, and Johnson has found a way to get production out of backup quarterbacks. For Bears fans, that combination should feel awfully encouraging.
Now Williams can come back the right way, not the rushed way. If he returns fully healthy and at his best, Chicago gives itself its strongest shot at a Super Bowl run, and that possibility looks more real with every passing week.
In Other News...
Bears Open Week 5 With A Protection Problem Fans Feared
The Bears opened Week 5 with a familiar and uncomfortable sight on the injury report, and this one hit right where the offense can least afford it. Chicago listed 12 players heading into the week, with seven not practicing, including three starting offensive linemen in Jonah Jackson, Joe Thuney and Darnell Wright, a grouping that leaves the front in clear jeopardy before the game plan even gets into motion.
Caleb Williams was also ruled out and did not practice, adding another layer to an offense already trying to stabilize around a battered line. Kyle Monangai and D'Andre Swift were among the running backs sidelined by injuries, while the news was a little better on defense, where Kyler Gordon and Cam Lewis were full participants and appear close to returning. Still, the early week picture for Chicago was less about who might come back and more about how many key pieces are suddenly unavailable. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Strong Start Just Made One Trade Debate Very Real
Chicagos 3-1 start has changed the tone around the roster, and it has also turned a familiar conversation into a much more serious one: how much should the Bears lean into upgrading a defense that already looks capable of carrying real weight in the NFC? With the Los Angeles Chargers stumbling, the idea of Chicago shopping in that direction suddenly feels less like idle deadline chatter and more like a plausible way to address a unit that could still use another jolt.
The most obvious name in that discussion is Khalil Mack, whose presence would bring instant credibility and familiarity, but he is not the only Chargers defender drawing attention. Tuli Tuipulotu and Cam Hart also fit the kind of long-view roster questions that matter if Los Angeles begins to think differently about its future. For Chicago, the appeal is clear: if the Chargers are drifting toward a reset, the Bears may have a chance to pounce on a player who fits a need before the market gets crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Luther Burden III Just Added Real Heat To Bears Packers Week 5
Luther Burden III is making it clear the Bears are treating Week 5 like more than just another early-season game. The rookie wideout put the rivalry front and center this week, underscoring Chicagos eagerness to beat Green Bay and do it in convincing fashion, while the bigger backdrop only adds to the temperature around the matchup. Ben Johnson also brings some useful history into this one, with a strong track record against Packers coach Matt LaFleur, including a recent playoff win.
Chicago enters the week with reasons to feel better about where it sits than it has in past editions of this rivalry. The Packers have shown cracks along the offensive line, and the Bears own roster looks deeper and more stable, especially on defense. Burdens comments fit the moment well, because this is the kind of game where confidence, edge and a little extra bite can matter almost as much as the usual Xs and Os. [Read more 🡒]