For the first time since Week 2, the Chicago Bears will finally have their starting quarterback under center. According to NFL insider Mike Garafolo, Caleb Williams has passed all the tests for his injured hamstring and is good to go for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Though Bears fans widely expected Williams to be back after a full week of practice, and especially after he reposted an electric hype video on social media, it has to feel good to get this official confirmation. The Bears went 2-1 in Williams' absence, a good record for any team to hit without their starting quarterback, but a disastrous Week 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers reminded everyone just how badly Williams is missed.
Caleb Williams has plenty to prove after his time on the sidelines
While he's always played with something of a chip on his shoulder, one has to believe that Williams is coming into tomorrow's game with a vengeance. His hamstring injury created memes and jokes across all social media, most of which were unfair and wildly ignorant. Critics and podcasters created a bizarre narrative that Williams, who had started and finished 35 consecutive regular season games before his injury, was soft and not built for the NFL.
While that is quite literally adding insult to injury, it didn't stop there. Backup quarterbacks Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent both led the Bears to one win apiece in Williams' absence, which fueled wild theories about whether the Bears even needed Williams. It was as if the central role he played in the Bears' 59-point Week 1 thriller against the Carolina Panthers had never happened.
But, as aforementioned, the Bears' 31-7 shellacking at the hands of the Packers should have served as a bucket of cold water over the heads of anyone who still entertained such ridiculous notions. The Bears' offense is severely limited without No. 18 under center, and no one is more eager than Williams himself to prove that on the field.
The Bottom Line
Williams' return in Week 6 felt like a sure-thing ever since he landed on last Friday's injury report as 'Questionable', but now it's confirmed. The former No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 NFL draft is back and ready for action, and not a moment too soon. The Bears sit at 3-2 currently, leaving them in a three-way tie with the Packers and Detroit Lions for second place in the NFC North. They need to start stacking wins before their next divisional matchup in Week 12.
Unfortunately, Williams won't likely get much help from his defense. With Montez Sweat suspended for the next two gamesSign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter and Dayo Odeyingbo headed to IR, a defense that was already struggling is now severely short-handed. That means the Bears are likely going to need another tsunami of touchdowns from Williams in order to beat the Falcons.
Between Williams wanting to remind the NFL world of who he is and sheer necessity, I would hate to be the Falcons' defense tomorrow.
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