Bears Must Test Their Backup Plan Against The Eagles Without Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears face a key challenge as quarterback Caleb Williams is sidelined with a hamstring injury, prompting a strategic shuffle in their lineup for the Monday night showdown against the Eagles.

Caleb Williams will not be on the field Monday night, and the Bears made it official on their Week 3 inactive list against the Philadelphia Eagles.

That was the expected outcome after Williams’ hamstring injury, which is projected to keep him out about three to four weeks. The current target for a return is around the Atlanta Falcons game, with an outside shot at the Green Bay Packers matchup if everything breaks the right way.

Williams is the headliner, but he’s not the only name on Chicago’s inactive list for the Eagles game. The full group includes:

  • Caleb Williams, QB
  • Jamree Kromah, DL
  • Jordan McFadden, OL
  • Ozzy Trapilo, OL
  • Jayden Loving, DL

The absence marks the first NFL game Williams has missed after starting his first 36 regular-season games and two playoff games.

With Williams sidelined, Case Keenum gets the start in Week 3. Keenum spent last week as the third-string quarterback, while Tyson Bagent had been the team’s usual backup over the last two seasons. Even so, the Bears opted to keep the game plan in place and stick with Keenum.

Outside of the quarterback situation, the inactive list doesn’t bring much new. Trapilo is still waiting on his 2026 debut, and Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet will handle left tackle again.

It was the first week Trapilo practiced in full pads, but head coach Ben Johnson said he still won’t play yet. Trapilo is making progress, though he may still be a few weeks away from getting on the field on game day.

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