Caleb Williams is officially returning at the perfect time for the Chicago Bears, but one question remains going into Week 6
The Chicago Bears are planning to start quarterback Caleb Williams against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 following a three-game absence caused by a hamstring injury.
The Chicago Bears just got the announcement every fan has been waiting on all week. The Bears are in fact expected to start quarterback Caleb Williams on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport.
Williams was a full participant in all three practices this week and passed the final stress-test to return to action. He has missed the last three games due to a significant hamstring tear he suffered back in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.
Caleb Williams is back for the Chicago Bears, but what version of Caleb Williams are they getting?
Williams returning on Sunday is great news for this offense. The Bears went 2-1 in his absence with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum at quarterback, but the offense showed clear issues when it came to red zone efficiency and throwing the deep ball.
Williams’ mobility and arm strength will certainly help the Bears find some improvement in those two areas. However, the Caleb Williams the Bears get on Sunday might not be the best version of Caleb Williams. Hamstring injuries take a lot of time until it’s fully healed and it could be something that limits Williams even if he’s cleared to play.
“A hamstring of any person doesn’t fully heal after three weeks, four weeks, five months. It takes a while, but there are certain parameters that allow you to go out there and play,” Williams said on Thursday. “There are certain parameters that clear you to go and lower the risk of re-injury and obviously just being smart with it throughout the week. Then obviously in-game, it’s game and you got to go make plays for the team.”
Williams’ mobility is a big part of his game when it comes to avoiding sacks, scrambling, and taking off on runs. The good news is that Williams said he hit his fastest recorded time this week at practice, a sign that his mobility might not be as limited as you’d think.
“I can move, I can run. I hit a top speed, the other day, one of my highest speeds I’ve ever hit,” Williams said. “I’ve got strength. And it’s just going through the stress test because obviously fibers and things like that, your hamstrings and muscles have to connect back together to be able to go out there and play a 60 minute game.”
Williams noted that if he’s going to play, he’s going to be 100 percent. And now that it’s out there that he’s going to start, we should expect to see the Caleb Williams we all know and love. It’ll be great to have him back out there again. The revenge tour starts Sunday.
