As it turns out, the Chicago Bears DO need their starting quarterback on the field. Contrary to what the naysayers may argue, and even though this team still has the deepest quarterback room in football, Caleb Williams is Caleb Williams.
Of course, it didn't take a 31-7 beatdown against the Green Bay Packers to realize that, but some people only learn the hard way. So, now that the lazy talk about Williams should be a thing of the past, the Bears know they can't get him back on the field soon enough.
Fortunately, that might be the case next week. According to head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears' former No. 1 pick is trending in the right direction, and he might be available to face the Atlanta Falcons.
The Bears might get Caleb Williams back in time for Week 6
"He's on track. We'll see if that's Atlanta or after. I think it's going to be close," Johnson said (h/t Chris Emma).
Coach Johnson will have an interesting decision to make if Williams can't suit up against Kevin Stefanski's team. Tyson Bagent looked terrible for the second consecutive week, but Case Keenum wasn't much better.
Granted, it was just one of those days where everything that can go wrong goes terribly wrong. The offensive line couldn't block, guys couldn't create separation, and Roschon Johnson gave this team absolutely nothing in the Kyle Monangai role.
Then, facing a major deficit, the quarterbacks had no choice but to take unnecessary and otherwise avoidable risks. They're by no means as terrible as they looked against Jonathan Gannon's defense, though angrier fans might not feel that way right now.
Williams had an epic performance in the season opener, accounting for four total touchdowns as the Bears put up 59 points on the road against the Carolina Panthers. Things got way tougher against Brian Flores and the Minnesota Vikings' defense before he got hurt late in that game.
The Bears will likely err on the side of caution with their franchise player. They're still sitting on a winning record and should be able to hold their own against the Falcons without Williams, especially if the defense actually shows up this time.
Even so, there's no denying how much the offense misses its gunslinger. Williams' dual-threat presence and ability to make every throw in the book, even when rolling out of the pocket, is second to none on this roster.
And after such a brutal loss, you better believe Coach Johnson will have some wild stuff planned for the Falcons' defense, and he needs his star quarterback to execute it.
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