For most teams across the NFL, losing your starting quarterback is tantamount to a visit from the Grim Reaper. Your season is put in immediate jeopardy. That is how Chicago Bears fans certainly felt watching Caleb Williams hit the Soldier Field turf last Sunday. They feared the 2026 season was over before it had barely begun. Later tests revealed the damage wasn’t as bad as feared. Still, he is likely to miss at least one game, and the timing is rough. They are about to face a pretty good Philadelphia Eagles team on Monday Night Football.
One would think people inside the league view the Bears as in the same dire situation as Washington or New York. Both just lost their quarterbacks as well. That isn’t what Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports found out when asking around. Multiple NFL scouts told him that while Williams is a great talent, his absence won’t be felt nearly as much in Chicago as it will be elsewhere, with other QBs. Much of that stems from the type of offensive system the Bears have and the man directing it.
The Bears are built to function without Caleb Williams.
But at least one scout thinks that, even without him, they’d be fine.
“That’s really a running team anyway,” the scout told me. “Williams obviously adds a lot to that, but so much of it is Ben Johnson’s creative scheme. I’m not saying they’d go to the Super Bowl without Caleb. But I think they can ride those two running backs (D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai) to the playoffs behind that offensive line.”
Another scout told me that he even had some faith in the Bears’ backup quarterbacks — either Tyson Bagent, who is recovering from a concussion, or Case Keenum.
“I trust Ben Johnson more than most coaches to find what they do best and make them successful,” the scout told me. “He’s the one that made Jared Goff into a star in Detroit. He salvaged Caleb Williams after his rocky rookie season. I’m not saying [Bagent or Keenum] are Goff and Williams. They’re obviously not.
“I’m just saying they’re in very good hands.”
Fans already saw this at work last season.
There were four games in 2025 in which Williams had fewer than 200 passing yards. The Bears were 3-1 in those games. That is because they ran the ball well in all of them. Granted, Williams made plays when he had to, but it’s worth noting he had 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in those games. He was a minor factor at best. If Case Keenum, who’s projected to start on Monday, can produce even a modestly efficient evening with around 200 yards and no turnovers, this offense is good enough to win games.
All of this feels intentional on Johnson’s part. He’s always been a coach driven by practicality. Having a great quarterback is great. However, what happens if that quarterback goes down? Suddenly, everything you’ve built goes down the drain. Investing in a dominant ground attack is the most proven way to quarterback-proof the offense. It puts power back in the hands of the other 10 players. Yes, the Bears will miss Williams’ big arm and improvisational skill. Even so, Keenum can hand the ball off just as well as anybody.
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Don’t forget this strategy worked on the Eagles.
One of those three opponents the Bears defeated last season, despite Williams having a mostly forgettable game, was Philadelphia. They ran for over 280 yards. While they are unlikely to match that number this time around, it’s fair to say Chicago knows it should be able to run the ball against this defense. After all, other teams have done it this year. Washington had 132 yards on the ground, and Tennessee had 122. The Eagles remain vulnerable in that area. Their pass defense has merely managed to keep it from being totally exploited.
With Caleb Williams out, you can bet Johnson will look to change that. He knows where this offense’s bread is buttered. That offensive line is built to go forward, and they have two really good running backs to utilize. Keenum has historically been pretty effective on play action passes. The smart thing to do is lean into that. Don’t ask him to be a hero. Just drive the high-performance vehicle responsibly.
