There’s more good news regarding the right hamstring injury suffered by Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on Sunday.
Via Adam Jahns of CHGO_Sports, Williams (who didn’t speak to reporters after the game) came through the locker room with media present. Per the report, Williams “was walking under his own power, no crutches or anything, maybe a slight limp.”
He’s in “good spirits,” we’re told, about attacking the recovery process.
Bears coach Ben Johnson said after the game that they will know more about the injury on Monday, when Williams has an MRI.
The Bears host the Eagles next Monday night.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams suffered a right hamstring injury while scrambling in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. And while he was in significant pain after it happened, we’re told that he seems to be in “good spirits” about attacking the recovery process.
It’s not the first time Williams has had a hamstring injury. In December 2022, while playing at USC, Williams injured his left hamstring at the end of a 59-yard run in the first quarter of the Pac-12 championship against Utah. (He fell to the ground nearly the same way he went down on Sunday after it happened.) Williams refused to exit and finished the game.
USC coach Lincoln Riley called the injury “pretty severe.” Williams said at the time, “You ever have an old rubber band? That’s kind of what it felt like.”
That time, Williams returned a month later (but didn’t miss a game) to face Tulane in the Cotton Bowl.
This time, Williams struggled to even walk, and he left on a cart. As coach Ben Johnson said after the game, they’ll know more about the injury on Monday, when an MRI on the injury is performed.
The 1-1 Bears face the 2-0 Eagles next Monday night.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was forced out of Sunday’s game with a stinger, but he was able to return briefly in the second half of the team’s 24-20 win over the Titans.
Barkley’s return to action didn’t leave him feeling certain about how things will go in Week 3, however. Barkley told reporters after the game that he feels alright, but that he will have an MRI to determine the extent of any injury.
“We’ll know more later in the week,” Barkley said, via Zach Berman of TheAthletic.com.
Barkley finished the day with four carries for nine yards and one catch for 11 yards. Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley saw increased playing time after his injury.
In the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, Bears head coach Ben Johnson told reporters he’s unsure of the severity of Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury.
Williams went down in the fourth quarter while trying to scramble deep in Minnesota territory. He was escorted off the field by trainers before being carted to the locker room.
“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson said of the severity of Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”
Johnson added he was a bit relieved the injury wasn’t worse based on what it looked like on the field.
“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”
Williams was 15-of-26 for 138 yards with an interception at the time of his departure. He also rushed for 42 yards on five carries.
The Eagles were expected to beat the Titans easily today in Tennessee. Philadelphia won, but it wasn’t easy.
The Titans were competitive throughout the game and took a 20-17 lead with two minutes to go, but the Eagles came back with a nine-play, 65-yard drive that ended with Jalen Hurts hitting Darius Cooper in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in a 24-20 victory.
The Eagles got next to nothing from Saquon Barkley, who was injured on Philadelphia’s first offensive snap, missed the rest of the first half, and was limited in the second half. Barkley finished with four carries for nine yards and one catch for 11 yards.
Titans quarterback Cam Ward showed promise, completing 13 of 20 passes for 183 yards and also running for two touchdowns. The game ended, however, with Ward setting up to throw a Hail Mary and getting nowhere close.
The Eagles are 2-0, but neither win has been particularly impressive. The Titans are 0-2, but they have to feel like today’s game showed progress.
