Caleb Williams Injury 2026: MRI Result, Week 3 Status vs Eagles

Caleb Williams reportedly avoided a major hamstring injury on his Monday MRI, and a source told OutKick the scan revealed a Grade 1 strain with no tear. Head coach Ben Johnson now calls his quarterback week-to-week, and the Bears have not ruled him out for Monday Night Football against the Eagles on Sept. 28.

Caleb Williams injury 2026: what the MRI showed

Per OutKick's Armando Salguero, a source said the MRI showed a Grade 1 strain with no tear, meaning the muscle is intact. The Chicago Sun-Times also described the injury as appearing to be a Grade 1 strain, the mildest classification. ProFootballTalk, citing Tom Pelissero, reported Williams did not suffer a major hamstring injury.

Johnson gave his own read on ESPN 1000 Monday. He called the report somewhat encouraging, per NFL.com and Yahoo Sports, and suggested the team may have dodged a bullet, according to NFL.com.

Williams went down untouched on a fourth quarter scramble in the Week 2 loss to Minnesota, per Yahoo Sports and FOX Sports, and was carted to the locker room. NFL.com reported he was later seen walking with only a slight limp.

Before leaving the 9-3 loss, Williams was 15 of 26 for 138 yards with an interception, plus 42 rushing yards on five carries. Through two games he has 407 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, one interception, and 107 rushing yards with two rushing scores, per ProFootballTalk.

Timeline and Week 3 status

Johnson said Williams will likely miss some time, per both Yahoo Sports and NBC Chicago. The Sun-Times reported Johnson said Williams won't practice this week, while stopping short of ruling him out for Philadelphia.

OutKick reported an expected absence of one to three weeks. The same report said a source called the team's decision not to rule him out for Monday a very optimistic outlook.

NFL.com flagged the reason for patience: hamstrings tend to recur if they are not fully healed, and Williams' game depends on his legs. Per the Sun-Times, Johnson stressed the Bears will make sure Williams is ready before he returns.

One more data point on durability. Per NBC Sports Philadelphia, Williams has never missed a game as a pro and has started 36 of 36 regular season games since opening day 2024.

The backup plan: Tyson Bagent

If Williams sits, Tyson Bagent starts. Johnson said so Sunday, per OutKick, and NFL.com reported the same plan for Week 3. The Sun-Times reported Bagent will work with the starters when the Bears return to practice Wednesday, positioning him to start.

Bagent, 26, is 2-2 in four career starts, per FOX Sports and NBC Sports Philadelphia. All four came as an undrafted rookie in 2023, and he threw only six passes combined across 2024 and 2025, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.

His Sunday relief work was mixed. NBC Sports Philadelphia had him 5 for 9 for 54 yards on two late drives, and FOX Sports noted he nearly led a game-winning touchdown drive before the Bears came up short.

This is the same starter-to-backup math we walked through on the Jaxson Dart injury and the Giants quarterback situation.

Betting and fantasy impact

No dated Tuesday line was available at publish time, so every post-injury number below is a Sept. 21 snapshot.

Per SI Betting, DraftKings moved from Bears -1.5 to Eagles -4.5, a six-point swing, and Caesars moved Chicago from -2.5 to +3.5 for Week 3 and from +2000 to +2800 to win the Super Bowl.

ESPN's Week 3 board, timestamped 12:50 p.m. ET on Sept. 21 and sourced to DraftKings, listed the Eagles as 3.5-point favorites. BetMGM's Sept. 21 preview also listed Chicago at +3.5 and tied its Bears lean to Saquon Barkley's status.

How to read it:

1. BetMGM's preview assumes Bagent starts. Any practice participation from Williams late in the week would likely be the trigger for a move toward Chicago. 2. A one-to-three week absence covers a small slice of the season, which is worth weighing against the Super Bowl futures drift. 3. In fantasy, a Monday night kickoff leaves no later games to pivot to. Williams managers should lock in a Week 3 replacement rather than wait.

For model-driven reads once the quarterback is named, check the StatSniper AI sports picks hub, and the full slate lives on our NFL daily picks page.

What to watch next

First is Wednesday. Johnson has said Williams won't practice this week, so watch whether Bagent takes the first-team reps as the Sun-Times reported he would, and whether Williams does any side work.

Second is the Week 3 injury designation. Week-to-week plus no practice points toward Bagent.

Third is the stretch after Philadelphia. Per FOX Sports, the Bears face the Jets, Packers, Falcons, and Patriots over the following month. If OutKick's one-to-three week window holds, the games at risk are Philadelphia, the Jets, and at the outside, Green Bay. Johnson's week-to-week comments are laid out in more detail on NFL.com.

If you want a second read on how the Caleb Williams injury changes the Monday night number as the week develops, ask Chad, StatSniper's AI betting assistant, for an updated breakdown.

FAQ

What did the Caleb Williams MRI show? Reports say Williams avoided a major hamstring injury. A source told OutKick the MRI showed a Grade 1 strain with no tear, and the Chicago Sun-Times described it as appearing to be a Grade 1 strain, the mildest classification.

Is Caleb Williams playing in Week 3 against the Eagles? He has not been ruled out for Monday Night Football on Sept. 28, but Ben Johnson said he will likely miss some time and likely won't practice this week. Tyson Bagent is set to take first-team reps.

How long will Caleb Williams be out? Johnson called him week-to-week. OutKick reported one to three weeks of rehab. After the Eagles, the Bears face the Jets and Packers.

How did the Caleb Williams injury move the Bears vs Eagles odds? Per SI Betting, DraftKings went from Bears -1.5 to Eagles -4.5. At 12:50 p.m. ET on Sept. 21, ESPN's DraftKings-sourced board listed the Eagles at -3.5. Those are Sept. 21 numbers and may have moved since.

---

*21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Stat Sniper provides data and projections for informational purposes; you are responsible for your own wagers.*