The latest signs around Caleb Williams point toward progress, but the Bears still have to plan for a game without him.
Williams is out for Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers because of a hamstring injury, and the absence will stretch to a third straight game. That is the clearest part of the picture right now: whatever optimism exists about his recovery, it has not moved him into the lineup for a divisional matchup the Bears need to navigate without their starting quarterback.
There is reason for that optimism. Williams has not practiced since straining his right hamstring in Week 2, but he is getting closer to playing despite not being on the field yet. He has also looked spry and comfortable taking drops, planting, and slinging it around during his recovery. The encouraging part is obvious. The practical part is just as obvious: he has not practiced, and it does not look like he will practice this week either.
That gap between progress and availability is what matters most for Chicago.
The Bears have already had to live through two games without Williams, and they are 2-0 in those contests. That record gives the team some evidence that it can survive short stretches without him. It does not erase what Williams brings when he is available. In the two games he has played this season, he has completed 65.5% of his passes for 407 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. He has also added 107 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
He has already shown the kind of playmaking the Bears cannot simply replace. Williams led an NFL-record seven comeback and game-winning drives in 2025, a number that captures how often he has been able to change the shape of a game late. That is the version of him Chicago is waiting on, and it is also why the team cannot treat a positive recovery update as a reason to hurry the process.
For now, Tyson Bagent is set to start against Green Bay.
The Bears’ offense has looked different without Williams, and the numbers from those games show it. With him starting, Chicago averages 227 yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry. Without him, those figures drop to 180 yards per game and four yards per carry. That is a meaningful enough swing to matter against any opponent, especially one the Bears are trying to handle in the division.
Green Bay brings its own issues and its own opportunities. The Packers are allowing 139.3 rushing yards per game, which leaves room for Chicago to lean on the ground game. At the same time, Green Bay is tied for second in the league with four interceptions, a reminder that the Bears will not be facing a defense that simply gives away easy throws.
So the update on Williams is encouraging, but it does not change the immediate assignment. He is getting closer. He has not practiced. He is out against the Packers. Those facts sit side by side, and for the Bears, the short-term answer is still the one that matters most.