Caleb Williams Expected to Start for Bears at Falcons

Caleb Williams is expected to start for the Chicago Bears against the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that Chicago plans to put its franchise quarterback back under center after three missed games with a hamstring injury, per NFL.com.

Williams was a full practice participant all week and was listed as questionable on Friday. The Bears (3-2) and Falcons (2-3) kick off at 1 p.m. ET.

Three weeks of quarterback roulette

Williams tore his hamstring on a soggy Soldier Field turf against the Vikings in Week 2, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The injury snapped a run of 36 straight starts to begin his career.

Chicago kept winning for a while without him. Case Keenum started and won the Week 3 Monday night game against the Eagles. Tyson Bagent started and won against the Jets in Week 4. Then came the Week 5 loss at Lambeau Field, where Bagent struggled and was benched late for Keenum. The Sun-Times called it the Bears' worst loss since Week 2 last season.

In his two games this year, Williams completed 65.5% of his passes for 407 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception, per NFL.com.

Williams vs. Penix for the first time

Sunday is Williams' first career meeting with Michael Penix Jr., the 2024 first-round quarterback the Falcons took eighth overall, seven spots after Chicago grabbed Williams at No. 1. Penix left the end of Atlanta's Sunday night overtime loss to the Ravens with a ribs injury, but he practiced all week and was declared healthy enough to start, per the Sun-Times.

Williams has admitted the hamstring is not fully healed. Head coach Ben Johnson said the goal is to let Williams be the playmaker he is while getting the ball out to his weapons on time.

"He was on an upward trajectory before the injury happened," Johnson said. "And I expect him to pick up where he left off and continue on that same path."

A five-day test for Chicago

The Bears also had a rough week off the field, with defensive end Montez Sweat suspended two games for a performance-enhancing drug violation, per the Sun-Times. Meanwhile, the Vikings are 5-0 and already pulling away in the NFC North.

Johnson is not panicking. "That story has yet to be written," he said Friday. "We get a chance to do that ourselves."

Atlanta is the first of two games in five days. The Bears come home to host the Patriots on Thursday Night Football at Soldier Field, so a sharp, healthy Williams on Sunday matters for both. Get him through four quarters in Atlanta with a win, and Chicago is right back in the fight.