The Chicago Bears didn't just lose their Week 2 game to the Minnesota Vikings. They also lost their starting quarterback Caleb Williams to an injury.
Williams suffered a hamstring injury
during a first-down scramble in the fourth quarter. The third-year quarterback reached for the back of his leg before sliding to the ground, in pain. He remained down and received medical attention on the field before being carried to the sideline.Williams was eventually loaded onto a cart and taken to the locker room. He flashed the crowd at Soldier Field a thumbs-up while pumping his fist as he left the field.
Williams was ruled out for the game because of the injury. Now, Bears fans are wondering when exactly he may be able to play again.
Here's what to know
about Williams' injury and when he may return to the field.
How long is Caleb Williams out?
Tests on Williams' injury hamstring revealed he had "avoided any major injury," according to The Ringer's Tom Pelissero. That could help make his absence be of the short-term variety.
In fact, Pelissero reports the Bears haven't yet ruled out Williams from playing in their Week 3 "Monday Night Football" game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bears have not yet provided an official update on Williams' timeline to return.
Caleb Williams injury update
The Bears announced Williams was dealing with a hamstring injury shortly after he exited the game against the Vikings. He was ruled out, but the team did not provide any additional updates on his status after that.
Ben Johnson told reporters following the game Williams was in "good spirits" despite his ailment. The second-year coach said he was not able to estimate the severity of the quarterback's injury but expressed gratitude Williams' knee was not injured.
"I'm actually happy it's nothing with the knee," Johnson said, referencing Williams' injury. "That was my first inclination. But yeah, the hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So we'll see how bad it is tomorrow and we'll go from there."
Who is Caleb Williams' backup?
Tyson Bagent is the Bears' backup quarterback. The 26-year-old replaced Williams following the 2024 first-round pick's hamstring injury and completed 5 of 9 passes for 54 yards in Chicago's 9-3 loss.
Bagent originally joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Shepherd in 2023. He has started four games in Chicago, and has completed 66.4% of his career passes for 917 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions.
The Bears think highly of Bagent, as they signed him to a two-year, $10 million extension to be the team's long-term backup quarterback in 2025.
Bears QB depth chart
The Bears currently have three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, and four within their organization. Here's a look at the pecking order within that unit.
- Caleb Williams (injured)
- Tyson Bagent
- Case Keenum
- Miller Moss
As mentioned, Bagent will be elevated into the Bears' starting quarterback role if Williams has to miss time because of his hamstring injury. That would open the door for Keenum to serve as Bagent's backup.
Keenum, 38, has been in the NFL since signing with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2012. The Houston product has a 30-36 record and an 84.6 passer rating across 66 career NFL starts. He has played for nine different NFL teams, including the Bears.
Keenum is best-known among NFL fans for his 2017 stint with the Vikings. During that season, he led the team to an 11-3 record across 14 regular-season starts and guided Minnesota to an NFC championship game appearance. He completed 67.6% of his passes for 3,547 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions while finishing second in the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award voting.
Finally, Moss is the lone quarterback not on the Bears' 53-man roster. He is currently on the team's practice squad but could be called up to provide additional depth if Williams misses time. The 2026 undrafted free agent played collegiately at USC and Louisville, completing 64.2% of his passes for 2,679 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions during his lone season with the Cardinals in 2025.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How long is Caleb Williams out? Injury update, return date for Bears QB
