Caleb Williams is trending toward a Week 6 return, and the Bears may be getting their quarterback back sooner than expected.
Williams has been out since suffering a hamstring injury in the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago has been careful every step of the way. He missed nearly three weeks of games and practice before finally returning to the field on Friday for his first practice session. The Bears listed him as limited, and he was also marked questionable for the Week 5 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, even though head coach Ben Johnson had already said he would not play and named Tyson Bagent the starter.
Now the focus shifts to next week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, which appears to be the target for Williams’ return. NFL insider Mike Garafolo said the quarterback is pushing to get back and that the Bears will monitor him throughout the week before making any final call.
"For next week, because this is Williams starting to work his way back and pushing to play next week. That's what I am told by multiple sources here the team is going to see how he does through the course of the week, so we really don't know how this is going to go.
But this is Williams trying to get back right on the timeline. We thought about three to four weeks potentially for him with that grade 2 hamstring strain.
So let's see how this week goes. But yes, it is him, so take your memes, take your videos, which are hilarious by the way, and enjoy them for now because he could be back on the field in short order."
Garafolo added on X, "From soggy Northwest Stadium: A 100% chance of Cam Skattebo today for the #Giants in the elements. Plus, Caleb Williams is pushing to play next week for the #Bears. So get your memes and videos in while you can."
Before the injury, Williams had already put together a strong start to the season. In two games, he has thrown for 407 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
He has also run for 107 yards and two scores. His 85.2 QBR ranks second in the NFL.
Pro Football Focus, though, has viewed the full picture differently. Williams owns an overall grade of 63.9, which puts him 21st among 33 eligible quarterbacks. His passing grade is 61.4, good for 22nd, while his rushing grade is 67.7, which ranks 12th out of 28 quarterbacks.
For Chicago, the bigger question is what Williams looks like once he is cleared to return. He had already shown more burst this season than he did last year, and his legs are a major part of what makes the offense dangerous. He uses that mobility to buy time, create openings for receivers and take off himself when the pocket breaks down.
The Bears have handled the injury carefully so far, and that approach figures to continue as they prepare for Week 6. What they do in practice over the next several days will tell the story of how close Williams really is to getting back on the field.
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