Latest Caleb Williams injury update gives the Packers something to watch closely ahead of Week 5 matchup against Bears
The Chicago Bears quarterback suffered a more serious hamstring injury than initially expected, and Green Bay has its own key injury situation to monitor.
The latest Caleb Williams injury update has significant implications for the Green Bay Packers. ESPN NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that the Chicago Bears quarterback actually suffered a grade 2 hamstring injury, not the grade 1 injury previously projected. That means Williams could miss three to four weeks, and the Packers play Chicago in Week 5.
“This guy’s a little bit different than the average human being,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said. “He gets back, he has in the past, a lot faster than what people can anticipate, and so I’m not putting a timeline on this. We’re going to say week-to-week. He’s going to attack this with everything that he knows.”
Williams’ updated timeline for recovery
Williams suffered his hamstring injury in Week 2 and has already been ruled out of the Bears’ “Monday Night Football” game against the Philadelphia Eagles. With the upgraded severity of the diagnosis, he could also miss Chicago’s Week 4 game against the New York Jets and the Week 5 matchup against Green Bay.
Chicago will potentially try to accelerate Williams’ recovery because the Week 5 game is an NFC North contest against the Packers. The quarterback could try to beat that three-to-four-week timeline and return for the divisional matchup, but nothing is certain at this point.
If the Packers face a version of the Bears without Williams, the impact would be obvious. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent is currently in the concussion protocol, though he returned to practice later this week. It is still unclear if Bagent will be available for “Monday Night Football,” but he would most likely be able to play against Green Bay in Week 5. The third-string option for Chicago is veteran Case Keenum.
Packers monitoring Micah Parsons’ return
Green Bay has its own injury situation to track ahead of the Bears game. Edge defender Micah Parsons is still recovering from his ACL injury and started the season on the physically unable to perform list, which requires him to miss at least the first four games. The Week 5 matchup against Chicago would be the earliest possible date for his return.
The Packers are working with the possibility of Parsons returning against the Bears, even though the Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys is the more realistic target for his comeback.
Both sides are working through impactful injuries ahead of a critical NFC North matchup in Week 5. The Packers could benefit from facing a diminished Bears’ offense, and adding Parsons to the pass rush would change the complexion of Green Bay’s defense.
