While it’s not official yet, all signs are pointing toward the Chicago Bears getting quarterback Caleb Williams back for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Williams has missed each of the last three games with a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings and in his absence, the Bears went 2-1 overall with Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent running the offense in his place.

You can’t ask for a better result when your star quarterback goes down for an extended stretch like that and the Bears are looking forward to having Williams back. The biggest question is how he holds up in his first game back in action, but if he’s out there, there shouldn’t be any doubt that the Bears will have Williams playing at his best possible level.

Caleb Williams speaks to the media for the first time since his injury and explains where he’s at physically

Thursday was a major step forward for Williams in his recovery process. Williams was a full participant during the team’s practice, his first day fully participating since injuring his hamstring (Wednesday’s session was a full walk-through). While it’s positive news, Friday will still be a big day to see if he can stack another full day of practice.

“I do not know if I’m playing yet,” Williams told reporters after Thursday’s practice. “I have to go through a bunch of medical protocol. Obviously have to get out there and practice, do the stress-test thing that you do when you’re coming back from a serious injury.”

As for how he feels physically after a full day of practice and ramping back up over the last few days, Williams added a more encouraging response.

“Obviously, I’ve gone through all of the cutting and planting and things like that throughout the weeks. It’s felt good,” Williams explained. “Y’all have been able to see me out there on Friday moving a little bit. It’s felt good. But, it’s different when you have to go through a whole week of practice and then prepare for a game. We’ll see how it goes.”

There’s still a few days to go, but things are certainly trending in the right direction for Williams to play, barring any setback. It’s worth noting that Williams mentioned he hit one of the top speeds he’s ever hit while running the other day and once he’s cleared to play, there’s no concern about him not playing at his full potential.

Caleb Williams goes through his first full practice this week. He’s wearing a sleeve on his right leg (where he injured his hamstring), which he did not have on during Friday’s practice or at Green Bay.

Tyson Bagent then Case Keenum took snaps behind him. pic.twitter.com/0C7F07QH9S

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) October 15, 2026

Reaction to the injury, all the memes that followed, and the false national reports

When Williams went down on the fourth quarter play, everyone assumed the worst as Williams was carted back to the locker room and visibly frustrated. That frustration was a mix of pain, emotion, and the unknown of what the extent of that injury could mean.

“I’m always going to show emotion,” Williams said. “Especially when I can’t be out there with the guys when something like that happens. . . I care about this team, this organization, winning, and being out there with my teammates. I care and that’s the biggest thing. This is what I love to do, this puts a smile on my face, it’s everything to me. Not being able to play was frustrating, and that’s where the emotion came from.”

From there, social media took off as it always does, which Williams noted doesn’t bother him after having his character attacked for years now. People were still mocking Williams’ reaction to his injury on social media and it increased when false reports surfaced that Williams only suffered a Grade 1 strain. Which, when asked about that specifically, Williams took the high road when explaining how bad the injury actually was.

“It was a hamstring tear, and a pretty serious one,” Williams said. “We got a grade, but it’s not deserved to be put out there after all the false ones.”

Three-game absence was a great opportunity for Williams to learn from afar

The last three weeks has been a bit of uncharted territory for Williams. Since being drafted first overall back in 2024, Williams never missed a regular season game for the Bears until suffering this injury. Given the competitor that he is, it was a difficult reality for him to watch from the sidelines.

“It’s a tough situation for me not being able to play and not being able to practice and not being able to be out there with the guys,” Williams said. “It’s been frustrating, it’s been challenging.”

Even though Williams wasn’t playing over the last three weeks, he’s still been involved in the team meetings, game planning, and adding input in any way he could to help the football team throughout the week.

“You can certainly feel his energy when he’s around,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. “He’s got a big personality to begin with. People respond to him, people look to him just as a leader of our team, as a captain, so you sense that from him.”

The hardest part, though, was sitting idly by on game days and not being able to be out there to help the team on the field. However, it gave him some new perspective on seeing how this offense looks from the sideline, and from the eyes of his head coach.

“It was nice for me to learn from Case, learn from Tyson, and being able to see how they go about their week,” Williams added. “I haven’t been in this position. So, it’s been interesting. It’s been a learning curve for me.”

Williams’ potential return couldn’t have come at a better time

In the first two games without Williams, it seemed like head coach Ben Johnson had a QB-proof offense. Case Keenum lit up the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 and Tyson Bagent ran a suffocating operating against the New York Jets in Week 4. However, the offensive struggles that were brushed under the run in those two games were magnified in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers.

“I think each week’s been a little bit different in terms of where our struggles have occurred,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “It’s getting back to what we did all through camp and how we started the first week of the season. I don’t know that we’ve done that at a consistent level since then.”

The Bears struggled to find any rhythm on offense in that game, partially due to coaching and partially due to the play from the quarterback position. It was a glaring reminder of how important Williams is for his unit. And Williams’ skillset should help improve the team’s redzone and downfield passing issues once he returns.

In the last three games, the Bears have had a 35.71 scoring percent in the redzone (29th in the NFL) and have completed just eight passes of 15+ air yards on 18 attempts. With Williams’ mobility and arm strength, the Bears should see improvements in those two areas with him eventually back at quarterback.

That’s could be key against a Falcons defense that ranks in the middle of the pack in redzone defense and allowed a 39.5 completion percentage on throws of 15+ air yards.

“This is my first time going against him,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “You see the highlights, you see the special plays. Now that I’ve got the opportunity to really study him, he’s just not the face of the franchise. He’s one of those faces of the league. The talent is exceptional, this is going to be a great challenge. I imagine we’re going to get his best.”