The Caleb Williams injury continues to lean towards the positive side for Williams and Chicago Bears fans. The initial fear was ACL, Achilles or something that would be season-ending. While a hamstring injury is not great, it likely means he will be back sooner than initially expected.
Head coach Ben Johnson was optimistic about Williams. At first, he made it clear that the results were better than they initially feared. He noted that they were somewhat encouraging. He went on to provide a strong vote of confidence for his quarterback to get back into the lineup sooner than expected.
Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson is optimistic about Caleb Williams
"He's right now working through every avenue that he's got available to get back on track here. We'll see what that looks like. Here's what I know. This guy's a little bit different than the average human being. I said that last night, I'll double down on that. He gets back - he has in the past - a lot faster than what people can anticipate and so I'm not putting a timeline on this. We’re going to say week to week. He's going to attack this with everything that he knows."Ben Johnson
Johnson has never beaten around the bush about injuries. When Coby Bryant was injured, he told the media that the initial report might not have matched the actual timeline. Initially, it was believed that Bryant could be back near the season opener.
Johnson could have let the positive news spread, but threw water on it by noting that Bryant could have been out longer. He was, and remains, out longer.
Johnson has always spoken contentiously when it comes to Kyler Gordon. He was not as optimistic about Gordon and his ability to return. He did not praise Gordon or how he handles injuries.
So, when a player does not deserve the benefit or the praise for coming back soon, he is not going to give it to them. However, he is confident that Williams will find a way to return to the lineup quicker than some would expect.
It is still a hamstring injury, and Williams has used his mobility more this year than he has in the past. So, the team will not rush him back. Still, they may only be looking at Tyson Bagent playing for a couple of weeks while Williams looks to return.
Williams will not practice this week, but Johnson did not want to give him a status for the game yet. This also signals he might not end up in the IR. That could mean at worst, they are expecting him to miss three games.
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