Caleb Williams, Bears Test Seahawks Defense on MNF

Caleb Williams has thrown for 300-plus yards in back-to-back games since coming back from a hamstring injury, and tonight he takes that hot arm into Lumen Field. The 5-2 Chicago Bears visit the 4-3 Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football at 5:15 PM PT (8:15 PM ET) on ABC, per the AP preview and ESPN's injury reports.

The stakes are simple. Chicago wants to prove its fast start is real against the defending Super Bowl champs, and Seattle wants to show last week's beatdown of Kansas City was no fluke. One of these NFC contenders leaves Monday with a real dent in its resume.

Williams vs. the Dark Side

Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 30-24 win over the Patriots. Now he gets the toughest defense in football. Seattle leads the NFL in yards allowed (233.9 per game) and passing yards allowed (144.4 per game), and it just held Patrick Mahomes to 165 yards in a 20-3 win, the first time the Chiefs failed to score a touchdown in Mahomes' time there.

"We can play. We go out there and our goal is to shut you down. We can shut the lights out," Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said.

Williams also comes in with a side storyline. He has been fined $35,823 over the past two weeks for wearing Caddix cleats without covering the logo, and a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport he is not backing down. Ben Johnson's answer was short: "He's all about the team, and I know he's not going to hurt the team."

The Run Game Is the Real Fight

This is strength on strength. Chicago leads the NFL at 154.3 rushing yards per game, and D'Andre Swift has seven rushing touchdowns. Seattle has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 36 straight games, the longest active streak in the league.

Swift should get plenty of work, too. Backup Kyle Monangai is out with a thumb injury, per the ESPN injury report. The Bears also lost tight end Cole Kmet for the season with a right knee injury, which takes away a key blocker. On the other side of the ball, Montez Sweat is back from his two-game PED suspension, and All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons could make his Bears debut after Thursday's trade with Tennessee.

Seattle Gets Charbonnet Back, Loses Cross

The Seahawks have their own changes. Coach Mike Macdonald confirmed Zach Charbonnet will make his 2026 debut after tearing his left ACL in the divisional round in January, ESPN's Brady Henderson reported. Rookie first-round pick Jadarian Price also had no game designation, but Macdonald would not commit to activating him off injured reserve.

The bad news is up front and on the outside. Left tackle Charles Cross (ankle) and receiver Rashid Shaheed (knee) are out, and outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (ankle) is doubtful. That puts even more on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, who leads the league at 123.9 receiving yards per game with eight touchdowns.

The Smacktok Pick

With Monangai out, Swift is the clear lead back in the league's top rushing attack, so lean higher on Swift's rushing attempts tonight, even against a defense this stingy. On the Seattle side, with Shaheed out, lean higher on Smith-Njigba's targets.

Bears fans have waited a long time for a quarterback who can walk into a place like Lumen Field and make it quiet. Tonight is Williams' chance.