Caleb Williams (hamstring) sits out on Thursday

This isn’t much of an update, but it bears noting. Williams is considered week-to-week at this point. He is not practicing, nor is QB2 Tyson Bagent (concussion). Bagent might have a better chance to play than Williams does, but neither player is on the right side of questionable. Bears QB3 Case Keenum will “likely” start on Monday Night Football against the Eagles in Week 3.

Tyson Bagent has not been cleared to practice while he works his way through the league’s concussion protocol. Caleb Williams (hamstring) is unlikely to practice this week, let alone play. That leaves just Keenum at quarterback on the active roster. The Bears have an extra day to get healthy because they play on Monday night, but all signs point to Keenum drawing the start. It will be hard to get any Chicago pass-catcher in fantasy lineups with Keenum under center.

While he doesn’t expect Williams to practice this week, Johnson did not rule out the possibility of him playing next Monday night against the Eagles. Williams received positive news on the hamstring injury he suffered in Week 2’s loss to the Vikings, but the Bears’ QB1 is still at risk of missing at least one game after Johnson called him “week-to-week” earlier on Monday. It wouldn’t be surprising if Johnson delayed naming a starting QB as long as he can to give himself a “competitive advantage” heading into Week 3. Fantasy managers rostering Williams will want a contingency plan in place heading into the week and should consider sitting Williams if Johnson doesn’t commit to starting him before Sunday’s games kick off.

It was reported earlier that Williams appears to have avoided serious injury after undergoing an MRI on Monday. The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero also said that he could have a chance to play in Week 3’s game against the Eagles, but it’s worth noting that Johnson also said Williams “will likely miss some time.” This is already setting up to be an annoying injury for fantasy managers to navigate, with the Bears set to play on Monday night. We’ll see where things stand when the team releases its first injury report of the week on Thursday, but if he can’t play, Tyson Bagent would get the nod against a stout Eagles defense.

This is as good of news as Bears fans could have hoped for after their QB1 was carted from the field with a towel over his head less than 24 hours ago. It was reported after the game that Williams was in good spirits and walking around the locker room after the team’s Week 2 loss to the Bears, and the early belief was that he had avoided any severe injury. It’s safe to say that this certainly sounds like a minor ordeal at worst, based on the latest report, after the initial fear was that Williams could be looking at an extended absence. With an extra day of rest before Week 3’s Monday night game against the Eagles, Williams could have a legitimate chance to suit up without missing a game. His name will be one to monitor on the injury report, but fantasy managers could be forced into deciding whether or not to risk playing him if he ends up receiving a questionable designation tag come Saturday. If Williams is unable to play, Tyson Bagent would draw the start.

According to Florio, it “could be as slight as a Grade 1" strain. Williams will undergo further testing tomorrow to determine the severity, at which point we should get an update about an expected return timeline. Williams is reportedly in good spirits and is ready to attack his rehab program. Williams injured his right hamstring today, and Florio notes that Williams injured his left hamstring in college. The Bears host the Eagles in Week 3’s Monday Night Football game. Backup QB Tyson Bagent would start in Williams’ stead if Williams is unable to play, though the extra day of rest could pay off.

Williams exited the Bears’ 13-9, Week 2 loss to the Vikings after suffering a hamstring injury that initially had him rolling on the ground, shouting in pain. Shortly after the game, multiple Chicago beat reporters took to social media to tell fans Williams was able to walk around the locker room without crutches, though at least two reporters noted that he appears to have a slight limp. Overall, this is an encouraging first update. Williams will undergo thorough testing in the coming hours and days to determine the injury’s severity and his potential return timeline. Stay tuned.

This wouldn’t normally be good news, but seeing as Williams was carted with a towel over his head, it would be the best possible news if this diagnosis holds. It should be noted that the word is from the Bears themselves, and diagnoses sometimes change in these cases. That would nevertheless seem unlikely in this particularly instance, as the hamstring is a much different kind of ailment than an Achilles’ tendon or knee. It would seem Williams has avoided a season-ending issue. He could still end up on injured reserve for a month if it’s a severe strain. Stay tuned. For now, Tyson Bagent should be considered extremely likely to start Week 3 against the Eagles.

Tyson Bagent is now in the game at quarterback. Rolled out and scrambling for the end zone midway through the fourth quarter, Williams was trying to evade a tackle when he slipped and went down. He was not touched. He tried to get up but immediately went down writhing in pain. Williams was distraught as he was helped off the field by the Bears’ staff. He has since been carted to the locker room. Just awful. Williams was just 15-of-26 for 138 scoreless yards and an interception before departing. It has been a slugfest in Chicago.

Williams was unstoppable in this one. His two rushing scores come after he had just four rushing touchdowns in 2025. Williams showed off his underrated speed time and again, including on an untouched 29-yard rushing score in the second half. Williams carved up the Carolina secondary, hitting the sort of intermediate passes that gave him trouble in 2025. He was 15 percent over his expected completion rate. To the surprise of folks who drafted Luther Burden and Colston Loveland, Williams targeted Kalif Raymond a team-leading nine times against the Panthers. That probably won’t hold up going forward. Williams should remain in all lineups next week against the Vikings.