It’s important that quarterbacks and head coaches are on the same page in the NFL and the duo in Chicago is in lockstep when it comes to Caleb Williams’ readiness for his first postseason action.
While Williams has not seen playoff action, head coach Ben Johnson said he has “played in a lot of big games over the course of his life” and that he has played his best football when the Bears needed it the most this season. That led Johnson to say Williams is “built for these moments” and Williams reached for the same phrase while discussing how prepared he is for the Packers on Saturday.
“I think I am built for these moments, mentality-wise, how I’ve worked,” Williams said, via the team’s website. “I’ve been in a bunch of big games before and a bunch of big rival games. In those moments, I think I can provide a spark for the team. I think I can do whatever my team needs me to do, whether that’s stand in the pocket, whether that’s run, whether that’s scramble, whether that’s whatever, hand the ball off 30 times and be energetic about it. Whatever it takes is where I’m at, where I’m going to be at for these next couple of weeks hopefully.”
One of Williams’ biggest games came on a Saturday night against the Packers in Week 16. He led the Bears on back-to-back scoring drives to tie the game in the fourth quarter and then threw a game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Moore in overtime for a 22-16 win that helped nail down the NFC North. It was one of six wins the Bears pulled out in the final minutes this season.
Johnson might prefer something less dramatic this weekend, but knowing Williams can come through in those moments is a good feeling to have when you’re embarking on a playoff journey.
The Bears got wide receiver Rome Odunze back at practice last week, but they’re still waiting for him to move up to full practice participation as they prepare for Saturday’s game against the Packers.
Odunze was listed as limited due to the foot injury that’s kept him off the field since the end of November. Odunze returned to practice last Friday and was listed as questionable before ultimately sitting out Chicago’s loss to the Lions in Week 18.
Wide receiver DJ Moore played in that game, but he joined Odunze as a limited participant on Tuesday. Moore, who has two catches for 18 yards the last two weeks, is dealing with a knee injury.
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (concussion), defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (concussion), and wide receiver Jahdae Walker (illness) did not practice on Tuesday. Cornerback Kyler Gordon (groin) and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo (quad) were limited while offensive lineman Braxton Jones (knee) and cornerback Nick McCloud (illness) were full participants.
Packers quarterback Clayton Tune got a chance to show what he could do on Sunday, starting the meaningless Week 18 game. The Packers did not like what they saw.
Tune was released today, 48 hours after going 6-for-11 for 34 yards in a 16-3 loss to the Vikings.
The Packers also signed quarterback Desmond Ridder to the active roster from the practice squad. Ridder will be the third quarterback for the playoffs, behind starter Jordan Love and backup Malik Willis.
Sunday was Tune’s second career start; he also started a game for the Cardinals in 2023. For his career, Tune has completed 21 of 38 passes for 112 yards with no touchdowns, three interceptions and a passer rating of 27.7.
Ridder has never played in a game for the Packers but has started 18 games in his career, 17 for the Falcons and one for the Raiders. He has completed 374 of 588 passes for 4,002 yards, with 16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a passer rating of 82.6.
The Packers also announced that they signed wide receiver Julian Hicks, wide receiver Kisean Johnson and tight end Messiah Swinson to the practice squad.
The Packers expect to have right tackle Zach Tom back in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Bears.
Tom missed the final three games of the regular season with a knee injury, but head coach Matt LaFleur said at a Tuesday press conference that Tom should be back in the lineup this weekend.
“I think that would be a huge get,” LaFleur said. “He’s our most consistent offensive lineman. He’s one of the best, I think, in the league at his position. That would definitely be a boost.”
LaFleur also said that he expects backup quarterback Malik Willis to be available. Willis dealt with a right shoulder injury in the final weeks of the season and was inactive for their Week 18 loss to the Vikings.
Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks remains in the concussion protocol, but he will take part in practice as he moves toward possible clearance in time to face Chicago.
The Bears are getting a couple of players back on the practice field this week as they get ready to face the Packers on Saturday night.
Chicago announced cornerback Kyle Gordon and offensive lineman Braxton Jones have been designated for return from injured reserve.
Gordon has been dealing with a groin injury and has not played since Nov. 28. He appeared in just three games this season, recording seven total tackles with one fumble recovery and a sack.
Jones has a knee injury and has been sidelined since October. He played six games with four starts during the regular season.
Playing on Saturday, Chicago’s first injury report of the week is due out later on Tuesday.
