Why Vic Fangio Knows Bears’ Run Game Won’t Vanish With Caleb Williams Out

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles will arrive at Soldier Field on Monday night with a clear personnel edge at quarterback.

Chicago’s franchise quarterback, Caleb Williams, is expected to miss the game with a right hamstring strain suffered in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Minnesota.

Head coach Ben Johnson has labeled the injury week-to-week and said Williams will not practice this week, even as he stopped short of formally ruling out the emerging superstar.

The situation grew even murkier when backup Tyson Bagent entered the NFL’s concussion protocol. Bagent relieved Williams against the Vikings and finished 5 of 9 for 54 yards before Dallas Turner’s walk-off sack on fourth-and-2 from the 12-yard line ended the game.

That hit — or an earlier collision with Andrew Van Ginkel — is the likely source of the concussion.

Because the Bears play on Monday, Bagent has an extra day to work through the five-step protocol, but clearance is far from guaranteed.

That leaves 38-year-old Case Keenum, a veteran of 66 career starts who has not thrown a regular-season pass since December 2023 with Houston.

Keenum took the first-team reps Wednesday while Williams rehabbed and Bagent sat out. Johnson has publicly expressed confidence in both backups, noting that each “has won games in this league.”

Still, a third-stringer making his first start in nearly three years against Vic Fangio’s defense is an obvious advantage for Philadelphia.

Caution Tape

Sep 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (4) runs against Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) during the second half at Soldier Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fangio, however, cautioned that the quarterback change may not gut Chicago’s most dangerous dimension: the run game.

“Not as much as you think he does,” Fangio said when asked how much Williams’ presence fuels the ground attack. “They’re an under-center offense a good bit, so it’s not like it’s a lot of gun, zone-read, QB-generated runs. They’re under center, handing it off. They do a great job of blocking.”

The film backs Fangio up. The Bears are averaging 212.5 rushing yards and 6.1 yards per carry through two weeks. They lean heavily on outside zone, often working behind right tackle Darnell Wright, one of the league’s premier run blockers.

Wright and right guard Jonah Jackson have repeatedly displaced defensive fronts, creating the lanes that former Eagle and Philadelphia native D’Andre Swift and powerful second-year back Kyle Monangai exploit.

Swift has 169 rushing yards and three touchdowns plus useful receiving production; Monangai has 147 yards on just 20 carries (7.4 yards per attempt), including a 61-yard score in Week 1.

Where Williams does change the picture is after the snap. His elite athleticism turns broken plays into first downs and forces linebackers to hesitate. Keenum cannot replicate that scramble threat.

Without it, Fangio’s unit can play more assignment-sound football, trusting the front to hold the point of attack and the second level to fit the run without constantly accounting for a quarterback who can beat them to the edge.

That does not make the assignment easy. Swift’s vision and cutback ability, Monangai’s downhill punch, and Wright’s dominance on the right side remain intact.

The Eagles’ path should be straightforward: force Keenum (or Bagent) into obvious passing situations by winning the early downs and making the Bears one-dimensional in high-leverage spots.

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