Caleb Williams suffered a serious hamstring injury in week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. He admitted as much at his latest press conference on Thursday. It apparently “popped” in the moment, leading him to wonder if it was season-ending. That is why he was so emotional in the moment. Thankfully, medical tests revealed it wasn’t that severe, but he would miss time rehabbing it. The only uncertainty would be how much time he’d miss. Initial projections were around a month. However, all signs indicate the Chicago Bears quarterback is preparing to return against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
That would mean the hamstring has fully recovered, right? That feels like the obvious driving force to play. However, Williams was asked if that was true or if the team’s loss to the Green Bay Packers last weekend pushed him to come back sooner.
“I mean, it would be a mixture of both, but 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. There are certain parameters that clear you to go and lower the risk of reinjuring, and obviously just being smart with it throughout the week. And then obviously in game it’s game and you gotta go play, you gotta go make plays for the team. And so yeah.”
It’s hard not to feel a little unnerved by those comments. He didn’t deny that he might be returning earlier than normal. The hamstring isn’t 100% and probably won’t be for some time. All he can do is hope his preparation is enough to prevent the issue from being aggravated further.
Caleb Williams is taking a calculated gamble.
Few injuries are tougher to shake than hamstrings. They tend to linger for an entire season, especially for athletes who run a lot. Williams is, of course, one of the most notable scrambling quarterbacks in the NFL. He relies heavily on his legs to help make plays. That becomes more difficult when you’re battling a hamstring problem. Ideally, you’d prefer to give the player plenty of time to ensure the injury is fully settled. Unfortunately, this is the NFL. There are only 17 games in a season. Every one counts.
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The loss to the Packers pushes the Bears to 3-2 with a 0-2 record in the NFC North. Their next three games are against Atlanta, New England, and Seattle. Caleb Williams isn’t stupid. He clearly sees that slate as one that could decide the Bears’ entire season. Putting it in the hands of Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum is not something he is willing to risk. That is especially true as losses mount at both running back and on defense. Even if he’s only 75-80%, that will have to be good enough.
This is hardly uncommon.
You will probably find that several quarterbacks around the league are playing through nagging injuries. It is just the nature of the sport. Football is violent. Just look at Lamar Jackson for a reminder. The game can be really tough on the body, no matter how well-conditioned you are. One thing we know about Williams is that he’s tough. He is no stranger to playing through pain. This will just be another one of those cases. As long as the Bears don’t force him to run too often, it should be okay.
No doubt Atlanta hopes to put that hamstring to the test. They will look to put as much pressure on him as possible. If they can’t sack him, then get him on the move and see if that leg holds up. Williams’ goal remains unchanged. Score as many points as possible and get the Bears back in the win column. He’ll worry about the consequences to his body after the season is over.
