Ben Johnson keeps Bears QB decision open if Caleb Williams misses again

The Chicago Bears enter their next stretch with a familiar question hanging over the offense: who will start at quarterback if Caleb Williams cannot go. Following the team’s loss in Green Bay, head coach Ben Johnson met with reporters and, as expected, he was noncommittal about a starting quarterback only if Williams misses additional time.

According to Johnson’s comments, Williams has not logged a full practice since injuring his hamstring. That detail is central to the Bears’ decision-making right now, because it suggests a continued limit on his availability rather than a quick return. Under that scenario, the coaching staff would have to move to the next options on the depth chart.

If Williams is ruled out, the Bears’ immediate alternatives are Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum, who have backed up the starter this season. In the loss in Green Bay, Bagent and Keenum combined for four turnovers, and the quarterback play was also tied to a difficult defensive matchup, with four sacks recorded against Chicago’s passing attack.

Johnson did not use the media session to close the door on any one quarterback. Instead, he left the decision open, which typically indicates that the team is still gauging how Williams looks in practice and how his hamstring responds day to day. Even if Williams participates in some capacity, the “full practice” wording indicates Chicago is looking for the kind of workload that would allow him to function normally within the offense.

The stakes for the Bears go beyond one game. When a starter is questionable, the weeks that follow often reshape the weekly preparation for both the first-team offense and the backups, including how much play-calling is designed specifically to match the starter’s habits versus what can be executed with either Bagent or Keenum.

For what to watch next, the most immediate indicator is how the Bears describe Williams’ practice status leading into kickoff. If “full practice” remains out of reach, Chicago’s next quarterback decision will likely hinge on the staff’s assessment of who can reduce turnovers and protect the pocket under pressure, given what the team saw in Green Bay.

From a broader NFL perspective, the Bears are balancing two objectives at once: preserve continuity with the quarterback who gives the offense its highest ceiling, while also maintaining an efficient game plan that can be executed even if the starter’s hamstring limits his preparation. With Johnson keeping the decision open, the coming days should clarify whether Williams gets the chance to return or whether the team leans again on its backup tandem.