The Chicago Bears quarterback went down on a non-contact scramble in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Minnesota. Coach Ben Johnson says Williams is in good spirits, with an MRI expected to determine the severity of the injury.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was carted off the field Sunday after suffering what appeared to be a non-contact right hamstring injury during the team’s 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field.
How the Injury Happened
[Injury] Caleb Williams is down with what appears to be a noncontact injury
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The injury occurred with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, with the Bears deep in Vikings territory. One play after running back Kyle Monangai converted a fourth down, Williams rolled left on a bootleg on first-and-goal with a clear path to the end zone. He went down awkwardly as Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel appeared to clip his heel while attempting a tackle — though Van Ginkel said after the game he didn’t believe he made contact.
Williams immediately grabbed his leg and stayed down on the wet field. He was helped off by two trainers, spent several minutes in the injury tent, and was ultimately carted back to the locker room. Before disappearing into the tunnel, he pulled the towel off his head and raised his arm to the crowd of 58,914 at Soldier Field.
At the time of the injury, Williams was 15-of-26 passing for 138 yards with an interception, adding 42 rushing yards on five carries.
Reaction From Teammates and Coach
The moment brought a stunned hush over Soldier Field. Bears receiver Rome Odunze said afterward that it was unlike anything he’d seen from his quarterback.
“I’ve never seen him go down like that and be down like that,” Odunze said. “He usually pops back up. I’ve seen him pop back up from hits, all sorts of things. So definitely not a great feeling, but instantly praying for him and know he’s going to be back as soon as he can.”
Cornerback Malik Muhammad II echoed that concern. “I’m worried,” he said. “If 18 gets hurt, I’m worried. The whole stadium was worried, maybe the whole world. But he should be good.”
Head coach Ben Johnson said he spoke with Williams shortly after the game and found him in good spirits, while noting some early relief over what the injury wasn’t.
“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee,” Johnson said. “That was my first inclination. But yeah, a hamstring can be pretty damaging as well. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there. It’s quickly you’ve got to turn the page.”
What’s Next
Williams was expected to undergo an MRI Monday to determine the severity of the strain. Early reports have offered some optimism that the injury may not be severe, with some suggesting it could be a grade 1 strain — the mildest classification of hamstring injury — though the team was not expected to have full clarity until test results came back.
A grade 1 strain would typically be expected to sideline a player for a few weeks, which could put Williams’ availability for Chicago’s Week 3 Monday night matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in question, while a Week 4 return against the New York Jets would appear more realistic if the injury is on the milder end.
Season Context
The injury caps a rough outing for Chicago’s offense, which was held to just three points by Minnesota’s defense on a rainy afternoon. The loss drops the Bears to 1-1 on the season after a dominant 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, a game in which Williams threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns.
Now in his third NFL season under second-year head coach Ben Johnson, Williams remains central to Chicago’s plans after a 2025 campaign in which he passed for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions while leading the Bears to an 11-6 record. The Bears will provide updates on his status as the week progresses.
