Chicago Bears vs Philadelphia Eagles Week 3 Preview: Can Bears Win Without Caleb Williams?
Caleb Williams is out. Tyson Bagent has a concussion. Case Keenum, 38 years old and making his first regular-season start since 2023, will face a Philadelphia Eagles defence that is playing some of its best football in years on Monday Night Football.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson spent the week hedging about Caleb Williams' availability and stopped short of officially ruling him out until NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirmed on Friday that Williams will not play against the Eagles. The Grade 1 hamstring strain Williams suffered in the fourth quarter of the Bears' 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, a non-contact injury on a scramble near the goal line, ruled out the second-year starter's participation in Monday Night Football at Soldier Field. What made matters worse was that backup Tyson Bagent also went down with a concussion against Minnesota, meaning Case Keenum starts in Williams' place at 38 years old.
Caleb Williams Injury Update: What It Means for the Bears in Week 3
Williams' Grade 1 hamstring strain typically carries a two-to-four week recovery timeline. Johnson has made clear he will not rush his quarterback back, saying only that Williams is week-to-week. Both Williams and Bagent did not practice Thursday or Friday, removing any realistic possibility of either appearing Monday night.
Keenum said he is ready for the moment. "If my name's called, I'm excited to be out there," he told reporters. He has four career starts and last started a regular season game in 2023. Johnson's offence is built around Williams' mobility and arm talent, both of which Keenum cannot replicate. The Bears will need to get D'Andre Swift and their running game involved early and often to take pressure off the veteran quarterback.
Eagles vs Bears Monday Night Football Preview and Prediction
The Eagles enter at 2-0 after beating the Commanders and Titans in consecutive weeks, though they lost both Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert to injury in Week 2. Barkley's status for Monday is uncertain. Jalen Hurts has been efficient rather than spectacular through two weeks, with DeVonta Smith already establishing himself as his primary target.
Defensively, Philadelphia's unit is built for exactly this kind of matchup: stopping a Bears running game that will dominate the gameplan, and pressuring a quarterback in Keenum who does not have Williams' ability to extend plays with his legs. The Eagles opened as 4.5-point favourites after Williams went down and could move further given Keenum's confirmed status. Eagles win, 27-23.