Injury absence doesn’t change Caleb Williams’ 2026 Bears expectations

At minimum, quarterback Caleb Williams will have missed three games for the Chicago Bears in 2026. If he sits again against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6, that will essentially be a quarter of the season.

For many teams around the NFL, losing your quarterback for that much time would be a death sentence. But the Bears have managed to go 2-1 in Williams’ absence. They enter their matchup against the Falcons sitting at 3-2 overall.

Williams is putting in the work to make his return. He was listed as a full practice participant for a second-straight day on Thursday. Furthermore, the quarterback was seen going through his progressions without setback on the field. Williams even spoke to the media after practice.

There, the quarterback made his confidence level in the Bears clear. Whoever is under center, Williams believes in Chicago’s ability to win.

Caleb Williams never lost confidence in Bears

Ultimately though, Williams does want to be the one leading the Bears. He has embraced his role as leader and is ready to help Chicago earn a playoff spot once more. Whenever the re-passing of the quarterback torch occurs, Williams is prepared to pick up and improve where the Bears left off, via his Wednesday press conference.

“It’s frustrating, I want to be out there,” Williams said. “But we went 2-1 in the time I was out. We’ll see how this week goes, that’ll be three or four games I’ve missed. We’re still right on track. We’re a 3-2 team going into this week. This is a big week for us.”

When Williams returns, the Bears will be expecting their offense to reach the heights head coach Ben Johnson is game planning. The quarterback will be coming off of a serious injury, but if he’s on the field, he’s ready to not only play but compete at the level that has become known of him.

The Bears want to prove that their NFC North victory in 2025 fluke. Williams remains confident in making that a reality despite his injury absence.