Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams returned to full practice participation Thursday for the first time in nearly a month, but his news conference quickly turned into an icy standoff over his hamstring grade.
Williams refused to reveal the medical grade of what he called a “pretty serious” hamstring tear, shutting down reporters pressing for clarity on why he kept the diagnosis private.
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CALEB WILLIAMS’ INITIAL RESPONSE TO CRITICISM ABOUT HOW HE HANDLED HAMSTRING INJURY PROVES THE CRITICISM RIGHT
“Because it’s not deserving,” Williams informed the media. The testy exchange capped a five-minute opening statement in which Williams torched national reporting for trying to box his injury into a tidy Grade 2 timeline.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams grimaces in pain after going down during a run in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, at Soldier Field in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears is carted off the field after an injury against the Minnesota Vikings during the third quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 20, 2026, in Chicago, Ill. (Getty Images)
“There’s nothing that has come out that has been right about what it is and what it has been,” he said.
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Williams originally sustained the injury late in Chicago’s Week 2 loss to Minnesota, pulling up lame on a fourth-quarter scramble toward the end zone before being carted off in visible tears.
“I felt a pop,” Williams said. “That’s why I looked back. I looked back just like everybody else does when you feel a pop. Think somebody grabbed you and nobody grabbed me.”
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs with the football during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Williams didn’t shy away from the emotional exit Thursday, defending the raw reaction as proof of just how much he cares about his locker room. “I’m always going to show emotion, especially when I can’t be out there with the guys,” Williams said. “Everybody making jokes and all of that, but that doesn’t bother me.”
CALEB WILLIAMS, LIMITED BY A HAMSTRING INJURY, SEEN CASUALLY PACING BEARS SIDELINE DURING NATIONAL ANTHEM
Williams underwent five to six hours of daily rehab and reported reaching top sprint speeds in recent workouts.
While he logged consecutive full practice designations this week, his status for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons remains undecided pending medical clearance.
Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears stands on the sideline during the national anthem before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., on Sept. 20, 2026. (Getty Images)
“Before you start asking, do not know if I’m playing yet,” Williams said.
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“If I’m good to go, I’m good to go. If I’m not and we’re just not ready, then we got to wait.”
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