Is Caleb Williams Playing Today? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Bears vs. Packers in NFL Week 5)

Chicago Bears star quarterback Caleb Williams returned to practice ahead of Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers, and he's officially questionable for that matchup.

Despite that, Williams is not expected to play based on head coach Ben Johnson's comments earlier in the week.

On Monday, Johnson said that Tyson Bagent would make his second start in a row for the Bears with Williams still recovering from a hamstring injury. However, Williams' return to practice certainly makes things a little more interesting, and it gives the former No. 1 overall pick a solid chance of suiting up in Week 6.

Here’s video of Caleb Williams back at practice Friday. On Monday, Ben Johnson said that Williams is “not going to be there for us this week” against Green Bay and said Tyson Bagent “will be the guy.”

Now Williams is listed as QUESTIONABLE for Week 5 against the Packers. pic.twitter.com/Ic4xv8oI8e
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) October 9, 2026

In Week 4 in a win over the New York Jets, Bagent completed completed 25 of his 34 passes for 268 yards, no scores and a pick. The Bears backup also carried the ball four times for one yard.

There's no doubt that Williams elevates this Chicago offense, but DraftKings Sportsbook has kept the Bears as 1.5-point road favorites against the Packers in Week 5. This game is justs the third time in the last 30 years that the Bears have been favored at Lambeau Field, and it's the first time since 2006.

After winning the NFC North in the 2025 campaign, Chicago has gone from +154 to make the playoffs (when Williams got hurt) to -170 to make the playoffs over the last two weeks.

Williams was off to a great start in 2026 before his injury, throwing for 407 yards, two scores and one pick while also adding a pair of touchdowns on the ground for Chicago. He left the team's Week 2 loss against Minnesota early after suffering the hamstring injury.

While Johnson's comments make it unlikely that Williams plays in Week 5, it'll be interesting to see if he's listed as active on Sunday. There's a chance he could be the emergency quarterback for the Bears, especially if he's made a lot of progress this week.

According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, Williams is "pushing to play" in Week 6.

Garafolo: Caleb Williams (hamstring) “pushing to play” next week.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 11, 2026

Chicago takes on Green Bay (Week 5), Atlanta and New England over the next three weeks, so it'll be interesting to see when the Bears want to bring their starting quarterback back into the lineup.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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