The good news about Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams keeps rolling into the start of Week 6, just days before the team faces the Atlanta Falcons.
Entering the week, expectations were that Williams would be in line to start at quarterback for the Bears. Chicago fans were waiting for the first confirmation that this would be the case.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson spoke with reporters on Wednesday, saying they would run a walkthrough instead of a full padded practice because of the short week ahead in Week 7. Johnson was asked whether Williams would show up as a full participant on the estimated injury report, and the Bears coach confirmed he would.
Caleb Williams takes first step in returning to the field for the Bears
Williams has missed the last three games since injuring his hamstring in the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Last week was his first practice in about three weeks, though he was limited in the final practice before the 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
This season, Williams has thrown for 407 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception and an 85.2 QBR. He also added 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The Bears' offense has been inconsistent at the quarterback position over the last two games that Williams has missed games. Case Keenum played well in Week 3, but Tyson Bagent has been up and down in the last two contests.
Williams obviously brings a different dynamic to the offense compared to Bagent and Keenum. He is fast, athletic, and has the arm talent that most quarterbacks don't have in the first three years of their careers.
Chicago will benefit from having Williams back in the lineup and playing, but this is only the first step. This does mean, though, that he should be back in a full participant throughout the week in practice. It doesn't mean that he will necessarily play.
If Williams can't play, though, it doesn't seem clear as to whether Bagent or Keenum will start. It might take more time to figured that out this week after Bagent's struggles in Week 5.
Read more: Ben Johnson's red zone headaches with Bears offense are nowhere close to improving
This will be an interesting week to see how Williams does in practice and whether he will actually get the start against the Atlanta Falcons. Him being a full participant will at least be a good first step to getting back on the field.
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