The Chicago Bears did not want to deal with this kind of news this early into a huge season. During Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Caleb Williams suffered a non-contact leg injury, where he needed to be helped to the sideline and eventually carted to the locker room. Williams was ruled out quickly, with what was determined to be a hamstring injury. the Bears went on to lose 9-3.
Now the Bears have to wait until Monday to learn the exact severity of Williams' injury and how much time he could miss. Make no mistake: not having Williams for a period of time is not an ideal situation for the Bears to face this early in a season with high expectations. This is a team that nearly made it to the NFC Championship Game last year, thanks to Williams' heroics
But this is the exact reason why the Bears re-signed Tyson Bagent for — to have a backup who can play well enough to keep Chicago afloat.
Tyson Bagent nearly led Bears to win after Caleb Williams injury
With just over a minute left in regulation, Bagent had one last chance to give the Bears a win, trailing 9-3. And to his credit, Bagent nearly won the game for the Bears.
Starting on their own 35-yard line, Bagent connected with Luther Burden on back-to-back passes for a 24-yard gain. Shortly after those two completions, Bagent connected with Rome Odunze for a huge 21-yard gain, setting the Bears up in the red zone at Minnesota's 20-yard line. Just like that, it looked like Bagent could lead an improbable comeback against the Vikings.
Unfortunately for Bears fans, the drive stalled, with Bagent throwing incomplete passes to Burden and tight end Colston Loveland. Then, with just one second remaining, Vikings pass rusher Dallas Turner sacked Bagent to end the game.
Bears fans have to take some comfort in the fact that Bagent more than held his own in crunch time. Sure, the final three plays left a lot to be desired, but he showed promise.
Bears had insurance options in place in case of Caleb Williams injury
If recent seasons have shown us one thing, it's how quickly a team's season can sink into the abyss without a quality backup quarterback. The Bears looked at their quarterback room and decided that Bagent could be their insurance policy. Before the 2025 season, the Bears and Bagent agreed to terms on a two-year, $10 million contract extension through the 2027 season.
It also helps that the Bears brought in a veteran presence as their third stringer last year in Case Keenum. While he may not be a star, it's hard to forget (especially for Bears fans) that he helped lead the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship Game in 2017.
It's hard to even imagine the team not having their superstar quarterback available, but that's the reality they have to deal with, especially if it is long-term.
First things first, though, the Bears have to see how much time Williams could miss. At minimum, he'll more than likely be sidelined for their Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, who had a comeback victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Read more: Everything Ben Johnson said about Caleb Williams' injury in postgame comments
This is not a great situation for the Bears to be in, obviously. But they could be in much worse shape.
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