Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams listed as week-to-week with hamstring injury

Fourth-quarter injury against Minnesota

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams exited Sunday's 9-3 defeat against the Minnesota Vikings after sustaining a right hamstring injury at Soldier Field. The incident occurred at 2:32 p.m. with 7:27 remaining in the fourth quarter during a first-and-goal scramble from Minnesota's 8-yard line. Williams moved left outside the pocket after a play-action fake, attempting to outpace Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel before tumbling awkwardly to the wet turf. Williams was 15-of-26 passing for 138 yards and one interception alongside 42 rushing yards on five carries prior to leaving the game. Medical personnel assisted the 24-year-old off the field, and he was transported to the locker room on a cart while waving to the home crowd.

Medical evaluation and week-to-week status

Initial medical imaging on Monday showed that Williams avoided damage to his knee, confirming a right hamstring strain that initial reporting listed as Grade 1. Teammates D'Andre Swift and Rome Odunze spoke with Williams directly after Sunday's loss, stating that the quarterback was walking under his own power and remained in positive spirits. Bears head coach Ben Johnson discussed the quarterback's evaluation during a Monday morning interview on ESPN 1000, calling the injury a week-to-week situation. Williams previously experienced a left hamstring strain during the 2022 Pac-12 championship game while playing for the University of Southern California.

“He's going to miss some time. I haven't met with the trainers yet but will have the full lowdown. He does tend to recover from these things quickly.”

Tyson Bagent takes over Chicago offense

Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent took over the offense with Chicago trailing 6-3, completing five of nine passes for 54 yards. Bagent engineered a final drive inside Minnesota territory with an 18-yard completion to Luther Burden III and a 21-yard pass to Odunze. The possession ended after two incomplete passes from the 12-yard line and an 11-yard sack on the game's final play. Bagent has compiled 971 passing yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions across 13 career games, including four rookie starts in 2023. Johnson reaffirmed his confidence in Bagent should he be called upon to start in Week 3 against Philadelphia.

“He's wired the right way. Having a full week of preparation can make all the difference in performance.”

Caleb Williams138

Tyson Bagent54

Caleb Williams

138 yards

Tyson Bagent

54 yards

Data from the article text

Schedule implications and consecutive start streak

Williams has made 36 consecutive starts for Chicago since entering the league as the top draft pick in 2024. In 2025, he threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions during his second professional campaign. Across two games in 2026, Williams has completed 65.5% of his passes for 407 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception for the 1-1 Bears. If Williams is ruled out for next Monday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, it will mark the first time Johnson has started a backup quarterback as an NFL playcaller. Johnson had previously seen starter Jared Goff open all 51 games for the Detroit Lions from 2022 to 2024 when Johnson served as Detroit's offensive coordinator.