The Bears got a needed boost in Week 6 with Caleb Williams back on the field, and the quarterback sounded more relieved than anything else after helping Chicago beat the Falcons. Williams still wouldn’t get into the specifics of the hamstring issue that kept people asking questions around him, but he made clear how much it meant to be out there again.
“I care about the team, the organization, winning, being out there, my teammates, all of that,” Williams said, via Bears Wire. “I care, and that’s the biggest thing.
This is what I love to do. This puts a smile on my face.
It’s everything to me. So, not being able to be out there was frustrating.
It was more the tears or whatever that was.”
Chicago is also monitoring guard Jonah Jackson, who ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported has a hip flexor injury and is considered week-to-week. His Week 7 availability is up in the air, though Fowler added that the injury is not expected to be long-term.
In Green Bay, Matt LaFleur didn’t exactly sound optimistic when asked about tight end Luke Musgrave’s chances of playing this season as he deals with a neck injury. The Packers coach left the door open, but only barely.
“That’s tough to say right now. Until proven otherwise, I would say no. But I would never close the door on that.”
LaFleur also addressed Jordan Love’s back issue after Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. Love brought it up right away, and the quarterback isn’t expecting it to cost him any time in Week 7.
“He was pretty beat up. He took some shots. I saw him in there with the chiropractor postgame so I knew something was up.”
In Minnesota, Brian Flores is putting his own stamp on the Vikings’ defense by giving veteran players room to adjust things on the fly. The coordinator, who’s known for being demanding and detail-oriented, said that trust is part of what makes the system work.
“Your natural instinct is to control all of it as a coach,” Flores said in an interview with The Athletic. “But there are things we just don’t see on the field that they see.
I know I have tendencies, just like every play caller has tendencies. (But opposing coaches) don’t know the tendencies of Harrison Smith or Josh Metellus or Blake Cashman.”
In Other News...
Justin Herbert Is Suddenly At Center Of A Chargers Debate
The Vikings already made their quarterback move for the offseason by bringing in Kyler Murray and letting Sam Darnold walk, but that has not stopped their name from popping up in the leagues next big quarterback conversation. Justin Herbert has become the latest star passer to stir debate in Los Angeles, and while nothing official has been put on the table, the possibility of his availability has been enough to send teams like Minnesota into the speculation cycle.
Herbert has been productive through his first six seasons, which is exactly why any hint of uncertainty around his future gets so much attention. For the Vikings, the connection is obvious enough to keep resurfacing, even with Murray now in place, because front offices around the league know how quickly a quarterback discussion can change when a player of Herberts caliber is involved and the Chargers have yet to make their long-term intentions clear. [Read more 🡒]
Harrison Smith Just Turned A Vikings Fear Into A Real Conversation
Harrison Smith has given the Vikings something they can no longer treat as a distant possibility. On The Richard Sherman Podcast, the longtime safety confirmed that the 2026 season will be his last in the NFL, bringing a clearer finish line to a career that has been central to Minnesotas defense for more than a decade. He also explained why he came back for this season, a reminder that the decision to keep playing was never automatic.
Smith has been on the field for all five games so far this season, which only sharpens the reality for the Vikings as they watch one of their most familiar defensive anchors move toward the end. There is still a full season ahead before the goodbye becomes real, but his comments turned what had been a looming fear into an actual conversation about succession, legacy and how Minnesota handles life after one of its most dependable players. [Read more 🡒]
Daniel Jones Returns To Minnesota With A Familiar Vikings Storyline
Daniel Jones is heading back to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday with the Indianapolis Colts, adding another layer to a Vikings story that has followed him for years. The former Giants quarterback has already had a memorable afternoon in Minnesota, and his career since then has been a mix of high points, injuries and stretches of uneven play, making this trip feel like another checkpoint in a stop-and-start NFL arc.
Jones arrives with Indianapolis still sorting through major change after recently firing general manager Chris Ballard, while the quarterback himself remains under contract as the Colts try to steady things around him. For Vikings fans, his return is a reminder of a familiar opponent who has been part of some of the franchises recent highs and lows, even as the broader storyline around his career is still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]