Chicago Bears fans held their breath Sunday as star quarterback Caleb Williams pulled up with a scary injury late in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings. With the Bears trailing 6-3 and pushing for a go-ahead score deep in Vikings territory, Williams rolled to his left as Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel closed in and dove for his right leg. Williams avoided the tackle, but his hamstring gave out in the process, sending him to the turf.
It was ruled a non-contact injury, and given how much pain Williams appeared to be in afterward, fans immediately feared the worst, an Achilles tear or some other severe muscle injury. Early signs after the game were more encouraging, with reports suggesting he might only miss a short amount of time, but nothing could be confirmed until the results came back from his MRI on Monday. As it turns out, the injury wasn't severe at all.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Monday that tests confirmed Williams avoided any major damage to his hamstring, and the team isn't even ruling him out for Week 3 against the Eagles on "Monday Night Football," exactly one week away. More news: Kyle Shanahan Delivers Blunt Brandon Aiyuk Verdict Amid 49ers WR Injury Woes This is a massive boost for Chicago. When Williams went down, he looked to be in significant pain and had to be carted off the field, the last thing anyone wanted to see from the face of the franchise and one of the best young quarterbacks in football, especially given how well he'd been playing up to that point.
In the Bears' season opener against the Panthers, a 59-37 rout in Carolina, Williams looked unstoppable, completing 21 of 29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions, while adding 65 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. And before Sunday's injury, he again flashed that talent despite brutal weather, with rain and wind playing a major factor in the low-scoring affair. Williams finished the day 16 of 26 for 138 yards and an interception, adding 42 rushing yards in a hard-fought NFC North battle.
More news: Saints WR Chris Olave Makes Wild Claim About Tyler Shough After Ravens Upset More news: Andy Reid Drops Huge Praise on Chiefs Rookie After Colts Win Still, he's unquestionably one of the most talented quarterbacks in football, and the fact that he might not miss any time is huge. This latest update doesn't guarantee he'll play against Philadelphia next week, but the chances now look good that he'll miss, at most, that one game. After the Eagles, Chicago will host the Jets before hitting the road for matchups against the Packers and Falcons.
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