Caleb Williams' Injury Prompts NFL to Change Bears-Packers Week 5 Game Time

When the Chicago Bears' 2026 schedule was first announced, their Week 5 matchup with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field looked like it would be one of the toughest tests they'd face in the first half of the season. Three weeks of football, however, have knocked a good deal of shine off of this rivalry matchup. The Packers are in complete disarray as they've stumbled out of the gate to a 1-2 start, and Caleb Williams' hamstring injury will likely keep him sidelined for this one.

The NFL apparently agrees, as they have flexed the Bears out of their original timeslot, a 4:25pm ET kickoff time on FOX, into the 1pm ET slot, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, though it will still air on FOX. Instead, the San Franciso 49ers and Seattle Seahawks will get to play in the afternoon matchup. That's a game that carries significantly more intrigue and playoff implications.

This will now be the first time that the Bears face the Packers in the 1pm ET slot since Ben Johnson became the head coach. All three of these games, including the Wild Card game, proved to be barn-burners, so it's no surprise that the NFL initially scheduled both of the Bears-Packers games this year for national coverage (their Week 16 matchup falls on Christmas Day).

Who will start for the Bears in Week 5 if Caleb Williams can't play?

To be clear, there is a chance that Williams is cleared to play in time for Week 5 anyway. Head coach Ben Johnson described him as 'week-to-week' in a press conference last week, and he wasn't even officially ruled out of Week 3 until Saturday. However, it's extremely unlikely that the Bears will risk his long-term health this early in the season.

That means it's probably going to be either Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum to get their first ever start in a Bears-Packers rivalry game. Many fans want Keenum to remain the Bears' starter after he led the team to an upset Week 3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. There's good reason to think that, and it would certainly be logical for the Bears to ride the hot hand.

As great as Keenum was, however, I believe Tyson Bagent should start in Week 4 and beyond, for however long Williams is out. Head coach Ben Johnson seems to agree, telling Bears media after last night's game, "We'll have a discussion as a coaching staff and we'll see where we need to go from here but I said it last week and I'll say it again: There was a reason why Tyson [Bagent] ended training camp as our No. 2 quarterback."

No matter the time, Week 5 remains a must-win for the Bears

Some fans may be bummed to see this game flexed out of a better timeslot, but it ultimately means very little. This Week 5 rivalry matchup is a must-win for the Bears no matter the kickoff time or who is starting at quarterback. The Bears may be 2-1, but they've already dropped a divisional game to the Minnesota Vikings. Losing two straight games to separate division rivals would bode ill for their playoff chances, especially given the sheer panic currently taking over the Packers.

If they're going to win a second straight division title, the Bears can't afford to drop a game against a vulnerable Packers team, not even at Lambeau Field. If they can just get past the New York Jets in Week 4 and beat the Packers in Week 5, the Bears will be at 4-1 just in time to get Caleb Williams back onto the field. Then the playoff push could begin in earnest.

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