Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is progressing in his recovery from a hamstring injury and is expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers. Tyson Bagent will start in his place while the team weighs a return timeline complicated by an upcoming scheduling quirk.
The Chicago Bears head into a pivotal NFC North clash at Lambeau Field without their starting quarterback, as Caleb Williams continues to rehab a Grade 2 hamstring strain sustained in the fourth quarter of a Week 2 loss against Minnesota.
While Williams has not yet returned to practice, reports from inside the organization indicate that his recovery is moving forward.
Tyson Bagent Prepares for His Second Consecutive Start Against Green Bay
With Williams ruled out, Tyson Bagent will start for the Bears on Sunday.
Although Bagent operated effectively and completed 73.5% of his passes, head coach Ben Johnson noted that the young quarterback left some explosive plays on the field by checking down quickly instead of challenging defenses deeper downfield. Bagent acknowledged the critique openly ahead of the Green Bay matchup.
“When the moments present themselves, I obviously have got to take it. I was a little quick to get down to the checkdown, but that can’t be the case going forward. I’ve got to be better in that instance, especially going into this week.”
The rivalry carries distinct weight for Bagent, who described the matchup as one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports.
Green Bay enters the contest looking to clean up a defense surrendering 139.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks among the highest marks in the league.
Scheduling Quirk Complicates Williams’ Potential Return Timeline
While initial expectations pointed toward a possible Week 6 return against the Atlanta Falcons, media reporting indicates that a scheduling quirk might push Williams’ return back toward Week 8.
Following their road game in Atlanta, the Bears face a short turnaround before hosting the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. Coaching staff and analysts have noted that bringing Williams back from a multi-week hamstring injury directly into a compressed preparation window carries unnecessary risk, especially while the team continues to win under its backup quarterbacks.
Case Keenum, who took the opening offensive snap against the Jets before yielding the huddle to Bagent, will serve as the primary backup on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Bears defense and ground game have anchored a 3-1 start, allowing just 19 points combined over their last two outings.
The team stands at 3-1 through the first four weeks of the season, holding the second spot in the NFC North standings just one game behind the division-leading Minnesota Vikings. During Williams’ absence, the offense has leaned heavily on an elite ground attack led by D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, giving Chicago the top-ranked total offense averaging 429 yards per contest.
The coach also highlighted that Bagent has received clearance to test defenses vertically when opportunities arise. You get the green light, man,
Johnson told his backup quarterback, encouraging him to trust his targets downfield rather than settling exclusively for short checkdowns.
Bagent reflected on the intensity of stepping into the starting role for a historic divisional rivalry game. To say this is just like any game just wouldn’t be true,
Bagent remarked during his Wednesday media session. This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. It’s easy for the fans to get up for, easy for us to get up for, so it will certainly be a different feel out there.
While Bagent prepares for his second consecutive start, the Packers are dealing with significant personnel challenges of their own following a narrow 17-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4. Green Bay lost starting linebacker Edgerrin Cooper for the remainder of the season due to a torn Achilles suffered on a non-contact play during the third quarter against Tampa Bay. Packers coach Matt LaFleur and his defensive staff will also evaluate the potential availability of returning contributors, as wide receiver Savion Williams practiced for the first time after beginning the year on injured reserve, and defensive back Kyler Gordon has pushed toward a possible activation for Chicago after missing the opening four weeks on the physically unable to perform list.
