The Chicago Bears have a general idea on how things are going to look with Caleb Williams' hamstring injury, but it may not be the best news for them.
Bears fans knew Williams was going to miss time after he left the Week 2 Minnesota Vikings loss on a cart. Williams did not practice all week with the injury and has already been ruled out of the Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported that Williams has a Grade 2 hamstring injury and is looking at a three to four week return to the field. It appears as though Williams won't be back until possibly late October.
Caleb Williams will be missing time with the Bears
It's not so much of a surprise that it could be a month before Williams is back, but Bears fans were hoping it would be sooner. The severity of the injury could have been worse, though, so everyone can be happy that he will at least be back this season.
One concern, though, is how the Bears are going to work through the next month without Williams. The Eagles are already going to be a tough enough opponent without Williams in the lineup, but things won't get better after that.
In Week 4, the Bears play the New York Jets, which should be a win regardless, but Week 5 is the problem one. Chicago is most likely going to be without Williams for the Green Bay Packers game, which is devestating news since the Bears need to start winning NFC North game after their Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Bears will face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6, which is not clear how good they will be yet. Atlanta lost their first two games, but with Michael Penix Jr. back at quarterback in Week 3, the Falcons dominated the Packers 35-14.
Another fascinating part is what the Bears do in Week 7 against the New England Patriots. That's going to be a short week since they play on Thursday, so it will be iffy whether Williams is available for that game or if they hold him out.
Regardless, the Bears have the talent to compete without Williams over the next few weeks, but it won't be easy. Williams is an ultra-talented quarterback who can do a lot in this offense, and not having him in tough games against the Eagles, Packers, and maybe the Patriots could put them behind in the division and playoff hunt.
Read more: Eagles expert answers the burning questions Bears fans have before Week 3 game
The second half of the Bears' season is incredibly tough, so if they want any shot at the postseason, they'd better find ways to win early. Otherwise, this season could end much differently than anyone ever imagined.
Add us as a preferred source on Google