When the NFL scheduled the Chicago Bears‘ home game against the Philadelphia Eagles for Monday night in Week 3 of the 2026 season, the league clearly expected Caleb Williams to headline a matchup against Jalen Hurts and the challenging Eagles defense. However, injuries happen, and the starting and backup quarterbacks for Chicago vs. Philadelphia will look very different.
The alarms sounded off in Chicago in Week 2 as Williams fell to the ground with a non-contact injury during the Bears’ 9-3 loss against the Minnesota Vikings. After watching Williams exit the field on a medical cart, weeping and emotional, fans in Windy City braced for the worst-case scenario. However, Williams’ injury update was better than the Bears imagined.
“Williams, ruled out for Monday’s game against the Eagles, has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which doctors consider a three-to-four-week injury,” as reported by Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter.
Who is replacing Williams as Bears’ QB1?
As the former Heisman Trophy winner recovers from his hamstring injury, the Bears will roll with veteran quarterback Case Keenum under center. Keenum makes for one of the most intriguing storylines in the first month of the 2026 NFL season.
Caleb Williams leaving on the cart after his apparent injury.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 20, 2026
Williams was emotional and gave a thumbs up to the crowd.
(📺 FOX) pic.twitter.com/A3CkQQoFfs
Keenum’s last NFL game was on Dec. 24, 2023, when he played for the Houston Texans. Three years later, he will enter a primetime showdown against a merciless Eagles defense, filling in for Williams, who had looked like an early MVP candidate before going down with an injury in his first game of the season at Soldier Field.
Bears face challenges without Williams
With Williams expected to miss at least three games in the 2026 NFL season, Ben Johnson’s explosive Bears offense will be put to the ultimate test. After erupting for 59 points and eight touchdowns in Week 1, the Bears were stopped in their tracks by Brian Flores’ Vikings defense at home in Week 2. Without Williams, it’s a mystery which version the home fans in Chi-city will get when the Eagles pay them a visit.
Clearly, the Bears must establish the ground game, and that could hinge on the hands of D’Andre Swift, who will be facing his former NFL club. Swift rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown last season in his revenge game in the City of Brotherly Love. Behind Swift, the Bears have another talented back in Kyle Monangai, so they should be able to wreak havoc on the ground.
However, that’s way easier said than done, especially against a stacked defensive line and a defense that will be expecting plenty of rushing plays with the Bears’ quarterback being a 38-year-old with no starts since Christmas 2023.
Key takeaways
- Caleb Williams will miss the Bears’ Week 3 matchup with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
- Veteran Case Keenum will start under center against the Philadelphia Eagles in his place.
- The starting quarterback’s injury is expected to keep him sidelined for three to four weeks.
