Case Keenum in line to start for Bears as Caleb Williams sits out vs. Eagles

Caleb Williams misses the game with a hamstring injury, putting Case Keenum in line for his first NFL action since December 2023 on a night celebrating Latino heritage.

An injury to Caleb Williams will reshape Chicago's approach to Monday Night Football. With their starter unavailable, the Bears are positioned to turn to journeyman Case Keenum when the Eagles visit Soldier Field.

Williams is out because of a hamstring issue. Tyson Bagent has completed the concussion protocol and is set to serve as the No. 2 quarterback. Keenum's most recent NFL game action came in December 2023.

ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge, speaking with ABC7, suggested the long layoff may matter less than the playbook. She said Keenum has a firm command of the offense Ben Johnson runs and described him as "a bit of a coach player" who now "gets his opportunity to be out there and show what he's got." A productive rushing performance, she added, would create breathing room for the fill-in.

Former Bear Israel Idonije offered similar counsel. "He can't go out there and try to be Caleb Williams," Idonije said, urging the veteran to "play his game, control the clock," bring his teammates along and "take what the defense gives him."

Away from the depth chart, support for the team is rising across Chicago and beyond the city limits. Tight end Colston Loveland said the city's fans have "been nothing but welcoming" and "love their sports teams," while teammate Cole Kmet put it simply: "This is a Bears town." The enthusiasm has even produced a Hallmark Channel partnership, with the club attached to "Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story," a Christmas film due out next month.

Monday's matchup also serves as the franchise's "Vamos Bears" game, saluting Latino heritage and a community with long ties to the team and city. Mariachi Herencia de México, a two-time Latin Grammy nominee that formed in Chicago, will sing the anthem. A live halftime performance will map the roots and impact of Latin music in Chicago while honoring the generations of Latino residents who have left their mark on the city.

Local prep players are part of the program as well. Alison Segarra of Amundsen High School and Alejandro Gonzalez of Dundee-Crown will act as honorary captains, accompanying the Bears' captains to midfield for the pregame coin toss. Fans arriving through the gates will receive "Vamos Bears" flags made to be worn.

For supporters planning their evening, The Staley — former Bear Israel Idonije's South Loop bar — opens for a watch party at 2 p.m. Tailgaters can enter Soldier Field's parking lots from 3:15 p.m., and the game kicks off at 7:15 p.m.

On the Global Sportscast schedule: the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Chicago Bears on Monday, September 28, at 8:15 p.m. EDT from Soldier Field, with the game airing on ESPN and ABC.