Bears QB Caleb Williams Out 3-4 Weeks With Grade 2 Hamstring Injury
The short version
- Caleb Williams has a Grade 2 hamstring injury expected to keep him out three to four weeks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
- Williams was hurt in Chicago's 9-3 Week 2 loss to Minnesota, exiting in the fourth quarter with a right hamstring injury.
- He did not practice all week and has been ruled out of Monday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Head coach Ben Johnson had labeled the quarterback week-to-week.
- The timeline indicates Williams should return at some point this season.
ESPN reports a Grade 2 hamstring injury will keep Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams out three to four weeks, beginning with Monday night's game vs. the Eagles.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks by a Grade 2 hamstring injury, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday morning. Citing league sources, Schefter supplied the first concrete timeline for Chicago's starting quarterback since he went down against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, an injury that initially appeared to carry far more serious implications.
Williams sustained the injury to his right hamstring during Chicago's 9-3 loss to the Vikings, exiting midway through the fourth quarter with the ball deep in Vikings territory. The severity was a mystery when he left. ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported that the quarterback would undergo tests Monday to determine how bad the damage was.
The wait for answers stretched across several days, and the concern was real. According to the report, Williams reacted to the injury in a manner that made it seem the problem could end his season. Any fears of that outcome began to recede once head coach Ben Johnson stepped in with an update.
Johnson revealed that Williams was considered week-to-week. That designation ruled out the worst-case scenario for the Bears, but it did not settle the question of how many games the quarterback would miss. It soon became clear that the first of those absences would come Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Williams did not take part in a single practice during the week, and Cronin reported that he had been ruled out of the Monday night matchup against Philadelphia. That settled his availability for the Eagles while leaving the length of his absence unresolved, and it was already clear the quarterback would miss more than one game.
Schefter addressed that Sunday morning. The quarterback is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring injury that doctors view as a three-to-four-week issue, details that league sources shared with Schefter and RapSheet. The report offered the most specific public accounting yet of what Williams is facing.
Williams could now be out for as long as a month, a stretch Chicago will have to navigate without its franchise quarterback. The timeline indicates he should return at some point this season, an outcome that appeared unlikely in the moments after he was hurt against Minnesota.
Williams does not miss starts often, according to the report, which makes the coming weeks an unusual stretch for both the quarterback and the franchise. He is expected to be eager to get back on the field once he is fully healthy, and the three-to-four-week window gives Chicago a defined target for his return.
The Bears begin that stretch on Monday, September 28, when the Philadelphia Eagles visit Soldier Field in Chicago. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 PM EDT, and the game will be televised on ESPN and ABC.
