Caleb Williams avoided a severe hamstring injury, but the Chicago Bears quarterback could still miss time after getting hurt Sunday.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson said an MRI performed Monday morning produced “somewhat encouraging” results, while making it clear the team is not putting a firm timetable on Williams’ return.
“He’s right now working through every avenue that he’s got available to get back on track here. We’ll see what that looks like,” Johnson said during an appearance on ESPN 1000 with Jeff Joniak.
Johnson emphasized that Williams’ recovery timeline remains uncertain and described the quarterback as someone who has previously returned from setbacks faster than expected.
“He gets back — he has in the past — a lot faster than what people can anticipate, and so I’m not putting a timeline on this,” Johnson said. “We’re going to say week-to-week.”
That leaves the Bears preparing for the possibility that their starting quarterback will not be available when they face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 28.
If Williams cannot play, Tyson Bagent is expected to take over as Chicago’s starter, with veteran Case Keenum also available. Johnson said the Bears have plenty of familiarity with both quarterbacks after working with them throughout training camp and the preseason.
“I would be a lot more concerned if I didn’t have a year and a half under our belts together now,” Johnson said, pointing to the experience he has had with Bagent and Keenum.
Johnson also expressed confidence in Bagent’s ability to handle the assignment if the Bears ultimately need him.
“He’s won games in the past,” Johnson said. “Him and Case both have won games in this league.”
For now, the Bears appear to have avoided the worst-case scenario with Williams’ hamstring. But with the Eagles game approaching, the bigger question is whether the encouraging MRI results will translate into enough recovery time for Chicago’s starting quarterback to take the field.
