Caleb Williams Injury Update Opens Door For Bears QB to Return in Week 6

There was a sign of life from Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on Friday that lends to the hope he will return soon.

Before the Bears put out their final injury report of the week, the former No. 1 overall pick made his return to practice on Friday, which amounted to his first practice participation since he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2.

The Bears even left the light on for him to play on Sunday by giving Williams the questionable tag, although we find it extremely difficult to believe he's actually going to play.

What the limited practice on Friday does do is set the stage for Williams to return in Week 6, when the Bears play the Atlanta Falcons.

Caleb Williams pushing to play in Week 6

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. — Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) walks on the sideline during the third quarter of their game against the New York Jets at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In fact, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo is reporting that Williams is now pushing to play next Sunday.

"Really good news for the Bears the other day, with Caleb Williams returning to practice with that hamstring injury," Garafolo said.

"Not good news for this week, really for next week, because this is Williams starting to work his way back and pushing to play next week. That's what I am told by multiple sources here," he added. "The team is going to see how he does through the course of the week, so we really don't know how this is going to go, but this is Williams trying to get back right on the timeline."

As Garafolo goes on to note, the expectation is Williams would miss three to four weeks. The Week 5 contest against the Green Bay Packers marks three weeks since his injury, so he's at the early end of that timeline.

Why Williams could miss more time

A few things could factor into the Bears' decision to push Williams out one or even two more weeks.

One thing is how the Bears do against the Packers on Sunday. If the Bears win yet another game with a backup quarterback, they might feel comfortable enough to sit Williams another week and allow for even more time for an injury that can be tricky.

Another thing to consider is the possibility that the Bears won't want Willams to return on a short week, which is what Chicago has in Week 7 thanks to a Thursday night contest.

So, if he doesn't play in Week 6, it's conceivable we won't see him in Week 7, either, but this is speculation on our part.

All that said, we tend to believe Week 6 is the current target. We agree with Garafolo that the limited practice on Friday was to get the door open, now Williams has to walk through it next week in order to officially make his return to the field.

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