The Chicago Bears are 3-2 to start the 2026 season and find themselves in a three-way tie for second place in the division behind the unblemished Minnesota Vikings. As Chicago prepares for a Week 6 road trip to face the Atlanta Falcons, it could be getting some massive news on the injury front.
The hope is that Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will make his return from a hamstring injury on Sunday in Week 6. Williams exited Chicago's Week 2 loss to the Vikings and has missed the last three games.
Coach Ben Johnson said after Sunday's 31-7 loss to Green Bay that Williams was "on track" to return for the game in Atlanta, and NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that "all signs" point to Williams playing in Week 6.
Johnson further addressed
Williams' status at his Monday press conference, stating that the injured quarterback continues to progress well.
"He's doing a great job progressing, and we'll see when we can make him available to help him win ball games. But he's itching to get back as soon as he can, which is a good thing. And when we get the green light, we'll move forward from there."
Johnson was also asked whether the Bears would start Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum if Williams is unable to go, to which he was noncommittal but stated that he believes the team has three passers who can win games.
With Bagent out, Keenum led the team to a 27-7 win over the Eagles in its first game without Williams. Bagent returned to start the win over the Jets the following week, and he started the loss to Green Bay on Sunday. However, he was benched for Keenum mid-game after throwing a pair of interceptions.
Chicago fans certainly hope Williams can make his highly anticipated return against an Atlanta team with quarterback injury issues of its own, but Johnson isn't ready to make any promises.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Ben Johnson thinks Caleb Williams’ Bears return is very close (but he still hedged)
