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Bears Who Face the Most Stress From Prolonged Caleb Williams Absence

News this might not be a short absence for the starting Bears quarterback could put everyone from Ben Johnson to receivers and blockers under severe pressure.
Gene Chamberlain|
A report Caleb Williams could have a more prolonged absence with this hamstring injury is going to tax the entire Bears team.
A report Caleb Williams could have a more prolonged absence with this hamstring injury is going to tax the entire Bears team. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears


The report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport about Caleb Williams suffering a Grade 2 hamstring pull probably won't shut up the social media attacks on the Bears quarterback but definitely should scare the team's fans.

When the injury occurred and it was described as a hamstring injury with Williams not being ruled out initially for Monday's game, the skepticism about his intestinal fortitude built. It wasn't too unlike the Jay Cutler knee sprain mob on social media in the 2010 NFC championship game.

However, as it turns out this is likely to be a real test of the Bears' quarterback room, if not coach Ben Johnson himself. There was a projection from Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter that it was an injury that could last three to four weeks.

Don't be surprised if it's longer. This is possible and there's an example of it right in Chicago.

White Sox Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain during a game May 29. At the time, he was challenging for MLB's home run lead. It took six weeks before he returned, and when he did he wasn't the same player. Only recently has he begun to look like the player he was coming out of the gate.

Every athlete is different in their recovery from injuries and hamstrings are very fickle. Part of the problem with this injury is the possibility of aggravating it. Otherwise, returning in two weeks might be possible.

Mobility affected greatly

In Williams' case, as a highly mobile passer who relies a great deal on scrambling, he'd be at least as reliant on healthy hamstrings as a first baseman who is always stretching and also has to run on the basepaths, but otherwise isn't like an outfielder running full speed all the time on defense.

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If Williams does come back early, that possibility of aggravating it and beginning the entire recovery over again will be there. Former Packers receiver Jordy Nelson had a hamstring injury in 2012 and missed a few weeks, thought he was over it and returned. A few weeks later he aggravated it and missed another four gamed due to that injury. It's the gift that can keep on giving, so to speak, and it can be tough to get past it for a quarterback because of their athletic involvement in every play.

If the Bears were being honest and it is a Grade 2 strain as the report by NFL Network says, calling Williams week to week is being awfully positive. It's more month to month.

The important part is how the Bears deal with this. They always insist they love their quarterback room, but the quarterback room is only so good if they can actually help win games when the starter is gone. Otherwise, all they are is a support group.

Tight end Cole Kmet described what's going to need to be done to help the replacements, whether it's Case Keenum as it would seem at the moment, or Tyson Bagent as he is seemingly over his concussion.

"Well, I just think operationally, being super sound, guys being where they need to be," Kmet said. "Obviously, Caleb just has the ability to make guys miss in the backfield, or make a play call that's not so advantageous for a defense into a great play call because of what he’s able to do with his legs, and maybe with some other guys you just don't get that type of dynamic ability.

"So it's going to be on us as pass catchers, in the run game being on point, being at our spots and landmarks on time, that'll help with Case getting the ball out to us and running the ball."

Taking a page from Detroit

The Bears are going to have to play the Ben Johnson offense out more exactly as it's designed on paper and called by the coach. It looked good in Detroit when they did it with an immobile Jared Goff. Then again, he had Amon-Ra St. Brown at receiver.

Top Bears receivers have yet to start producing at a higher level this year. When they traded DJ Moore, it was supposed to be the chance now for these uber talented players like Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland to take up those targets Moore had. Their production was supposed to explode. In two games, it hasn't.

The leading receiver so far has been Kalif Raymond, who knows exactly how the offense is supposed to work because he chased Goff's passes in it. They can't have just Raymond making an impact.

It's not just the receivers. The offensive line and backs need to operate clear of penalties just like receivers must because the backups are not going to be able to overcome the walk-offs the way Williams sometimes does with his scrambles and throws. The Bears are right back where they were last year much of the year in this respect. They are third in penalties walked off with 20 and second in total flags with 26, trailing only Green Bay.

As Kmet said, they can't tolerate those types of mistakes.

This trickles right down to the defense, as they'll need to be less porous to keep the less explosive offense in games.

Now is the time for these high draft picks at receiver and the entire offense as a group to show they really are ready to make the next big step in advancement. The backup QBs will have enough problems the next two, three maybe even five or six weeks without Williams around.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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