Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) scrambles against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at Soldier Field.
Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears suffered a rough loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 5, and many were calling for Caleb Williams, who was out once again due to his hamstring injury. There is good news regarding Williams, as he is supposed to be back on the field next week against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
“The fact that Caleb Williams was working out before the game in a pretty strenuous workout, looking pretty good, looking like himself,” Rapoport said. “This is a very good sign. My understanding at the beginning of this whole thing was three to four weeks with a hamstring. He has missed three weeks; the fourth week is next week. He was working out hard before the game and returned to practice the Friday before.
“All signs point to Caleb Williams being back on the field this week for Chicago, which, considering how it went this past Sunday, would be quite good news.”
From @GMFB: #Packers DL Javon Hargrave suffered a torn Achilles, while the #Bears could get QB Caleb Williams back this Sunday after his pre-game workout. pic.twitter.com/AZQU6Ow4sP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 12, 2026
The Bears were able to survive for the most part without Williams the past three weeks. They were able to get a big win against the Philadelphia Eagles with Case Keenum as the starter. Last week, Tyson Bagent started and got a win against the New York Jets. The Packers just happened to be the team that humbled them, but the Bears have to be satisfied that they went 2-1 during this stretch without their quarterback.
After their loss to the Packers, head coach Ben Johnson said that Williams was trending in the right direction to play next week.
“He's on track. We'll see if it's Atlanta or after. I think it's going to be close,” Johnson said via ESPN's Courtney Cronin.
It'll be interesting to see how Williams looks during the week, which will tell a lot about his status when game time comes around.