Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams carted off with hamstring injury
Caleb Williams left the Bears' Week 2 loss to the Vikings with a suspected hamstring strain and will undergo imaging on Monday, while backup quarterback Tyson Bagent is expected to start the next game.
Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams was taken to the locker room on a cart after sustaining a right-leg injury during the fourth quarter of the Bears' 9-3 defeat by the Minnesota Vikings. The injury occurred on a first-and-goal scramble with 7:27 remaining, and Williams was helped off the field by team staff before giving a thumbs-up to the crowd.
Head coach Ben Johnson said Williams was in good spirits after the game, but the severity of the injury will not be known until imaging is completed on Monday, according to reports from NFL Network and ESPN. Initial assessments suggest the injury could be a Grade 1 hamstring strain, the least severe classification, and Williams has prior experience recovering from a similar injury in college.
Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent entered the game after Williams' exit, completing five of nine passes for 54 yards. The Bears were unable to score on the subsequent drive, and a field-goal attempt by Cairo Santos was blocked, leaving Chicago shut out.
Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft and former Heisman Trophy winner, posted a franchise-record 3,942 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in his rookie season. The Bears, who finished 11-6 and won a division title last year, will host the 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
If Williams misses time, Bagent is slated to start in Week 3. He has appeared in eight games since joining the team and received a two-year, $10 million contract extension in August 2025.