Ian Rapoport delivers sobering Caleb Williams update ahead of Bears-Eagles

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show" Tuesday and provided some important context about Williams' right hamstring injury, saying the Bears quarterback appears unlikely to start Monday night's Week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"It certainly seems like Caleb Williams is unlikely to start this week and next week we will see," Rapoport said. "2-4 weeks is generally the diagnosis for these kind of hamstring injuries."

That doesn't mean Williams has officially been ruled out against Philadelphia. He hasn't.

But Rapoport's assessment gives a clearer picture of what could be coming for the Bears and makes Tyson Bagent increasingly likely to be Chicago's short-term answer under center.

(Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Caleb Williams appears unlikely to face Eagles

The Bears received encouraging news Monday when testing showed Williams had avoided a major injury after going down during the fourth quarter of Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Coach Ben Johnson later classified Williams as week-to-week with a right hamstring injury. Johnson said the medical report was "somewhat encouraging" and stopped short of ruling Williams out against Philadelphia.

Johnson also said Monday that he didn't expect Williams to practice this week. Rapoport's Tuesday comments now add another layer to the situation.

While a two-to-four-week timeline isn't a specific prognosis for Williams, Rapoport explained that it's generally the recovery window associated with these types of hamstring injuries. More immediately, his belief that Williams is unlikely to start Monday makes Bagent the quarterback Bears fans should probably expect to see against Philadelphia unless Williams' recovery progresses unusually quickly.

Still, this is much better news than most Bears fans were expecting.

When Williams went down untouched Sunday and eventually left Soldier Field on a cart, there was immediate concern that Chicago could be dealing with a potentially devastating injury to its franchise quarterback. Instead, Williams avoided major damage and isn't facing the kind of long-term absence initially feared.

Tyson Bagent could get first start since 2023

If Williams can't play Monday, Bagent would be in line to make his first regular-season start since his rookie season in 2023.

Bagent replaced Williams against Minnesota and completed 5 of 9 passes for 54 yards. He has four career NFL starts, all coming during the 2023 season.

Johnson expressed confidence Monday in Bagent's ability to take over if necessary. And barring a significant change in Williams' status over the next several days, that's increasingly looking like the scenario Chicago will face against the Eagles.

There's also little reason for the Bears to rush Williams back onto the field.

Hamstring injuries can linger, and Williams' mobility is an important part of what makes him dangerous. Chicago saw that in Week 1, when he rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns as part of a four-touchdown performance against Carolina.

Williams has completed 65.5% of his passes for 407 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception through the first two games of the season.