The Chicago Bears quarterback room is officially a game-time decision, and head coach Ben Johnson did not sugarcoat the chaos. They are coming off a brutal 31-7 blowout by Green Bay, and the head coach dropped a reality check on the “still fluid” situation at QB.  With franchise senior Caleb Williams impatient to return from a hamstring injury, the fans are desperate for stability and an answer. 

But after backups Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum combined for a four-turnover horror show last week, Johnson refuses to name a starter for Atlanta. It's a high-stakes drama in the Windy City, and the pressure is officially on. 

The head coach was tight-lipped about plans at quarterback. However, he did say that Williams would be listed as a full participant on Wednesday's practice report. This was the case when the report was released later on the day. However, the report was an estimate since it was a walk-through and not a full practice. "It's still fluid," Johnson said. "But I feel good about the plan that we have in place at this point." 

The Caleb Williams Factor and Johnson Takes the Blame

Franchise quarterback Caleb Williams has missed the last three games due to a right hamstring injury that he unfortunately suffered in week two against Minnesota.  However, the good news is that he was listed as a full participant during the walkthrough practice session. If Williams isn't cleared to play on Sunday, the hierarchy behind him is wide open.

Johnson didn't hide the team's recent offensive problems, and in fact blamed himself and his own coaching and play-calling rather than blaming it all on the quarterbacks. "I think once again, I put our struggles on myself more than anything else from the game the other day," Johnson said. "I have to do a better job making sure we get in a rhythm on offense, regardless of who's playing the quarterback position."

Using three different starting quarterbacks so far this season has genuinely stopped the offense's ability to build seamlessness and team building with the first-string offensive line and pass catchers. The Bears are expecting to break that slump, but they will not make a definitive announcement until later in the week when Williams' true practice smoothness becomes easier. 

Written by

Tanushree Bhowmick

Edited by

Tanushree Bhowmick