When is Caleb Williams Coming Back? Injury Update, Return Timeline For Bears QB

The Chicago Bears were dealt a tough blow during the Week 2 game when starting quarterback Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring injury against the Minnesota Vikings.

Williams suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the game when the Bears were trying to mount a comeback and defeat their NFC North foe.

Initially, the worst was feared for Williams because he suffered a non-contact injury, which usually leads to a worst-case scenario. Thankfully for Chicago, Williams has avoided a serious injury and will make it back this season.

How long he's out exactly remains to be seen, though.

Caleb Williams injury update

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. — Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) sits with a towel over his head as he is carted-off the field with an apparent injury against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, Williams has suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which is a worse injury than previously believed.

Williams received no shortage of flak for how he reacted to getting hurt, with the entire internet piling on him for overreacting when it was initially thought Williams had just tweaked his hamstring.

It looks like apologies are in order for Williams, but don't hold your breath for that to happen anytime soon.

With the injury confirmation on Sunday, we now know how long Williams is going to be out, and it looks like it'll be for more than just the Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Caleb Williams return timeline

With Williams suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain, the expectation is he will miss three to four weeks.

"Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has a Grade 2 hamstring injury that doctors say could sideline him for three to four weeks, league sources told ESPN and NFL Network," the NFL insiders wrote on Sunday morning.

If we count this past week, it would appear Williams may not return until around Week 6 or 7, at the latest.

If you want a glass-half-full look at things, Schefter and Rapoport pointed out that Williams tends to be a fast healer, so it's possible he gets back sooner than that timeline.

That's something head coach Ben Johnson has talked about in the past, also.

"He's right now working through every avenue that he's got available to get back on track here," Johnson said last week, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "We'll see what that looks like. Here's what I know. This guy's a little bit different than the average human being. I said that last night, I'll double down on that. He gets back - he has in the past - a lot faster than what people can anticipate and so I'm not putting a timeline on this. We’re going to say week to week. He's going to attack this with everything that he knows."

Another positive sign is the Bears did not place Williams on injured reserve on Monday, so it would appear they expect him back within four weeks.

Bears' upcoming schedule

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. — Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur looks on during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Here's how things look when it comes to the Bears' upcoming schedule during Williams' expected absence.

Week 3 vs. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
Week 4 vs. New York Jets (1-2)
Week 5 at Green Bay Packers (1-2)
Week 6 at Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
Week 7 vs. New England Patriots (1-2)

We already know Williams is out for Week 3, so check the game against the Eagles off the list.

With the way the Jets, Packers, Falcons and Patriots have played through three games, all four of those games are winnable, even with a backup quarterback under center for Chicago.

The Jets might actually be playing the best football of those four teams, believe it or not.

Regardless, the combined record for the Jets, Patriots, Falcons and Packers is a dismal 4-8, so it's not outlandish to think Chicago could navigate that stretch and emerge with a few victories even without Williams in the lineup.

Who is starting in place of Caleb Williams?

Chicago Bears quarterback Case Keenum. — Chicago Bears quarterback Case Keenum (11) after a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tyson Bagent is normally the No. 2 quarterback behind Williams, but he will not start in Week 3 and instead 38-year-old No. 3 quarterback Case Keenum is getting the nod.

According to FOX Sports' Jay Glazer, Bagent simply didn't have enough time to prepare for the contest against Philly because Bagent was recovering from a concussion during the week.

Bagent has, however, cleared the concussion protocol and is serving as Keenum's backup on Monday night.

"(Tyson Bagent) just passed concussion protocol this morning. So he will be in tomorrow night; he’ll be the backup quarterback. They couldn’t make him the starter because he wasn’t involved too much in the game plan," Glazer reported on FOX.

Barring Keenum playing well and leading the Bears to victory, we would expect Bagent to take the reins in Week 4 if Williams must miss another game. However, Keenum has had a lot of success against Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in the past, so don't be surprised if Keenum plays well and earns another start.

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