Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was a full participant in practice Thursday, his first consecutive practices since a Week 2 hamstring injury sent him to the sideline.
Williams confirmed for the first time Thursday he was dealing with a torn hamstring and isn’t out of the woods entirely as optimism grows he could be back in the starting lineup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
But Williams, who wore a sleeve on his right leg in his first full on-field practice Thursday since he was injured, is definitely making a push to play.
“This is a big week. I’ve been going through cutting and planting over the past couple weeks and it’s felt good, you’ve seen me moving around on Fridays and before games,” Williams said. “But it’s different when you have to go through a full week of practice, prepare for a game, and take on that stress on the mind, body, and spirit. We’ll see how it goes.”
The Bears are one of three 3-2 teams in the NFC North in pursuit of the undefeated Vikings (5-0).
The team got a good look at his progress in Thursday’s practice. Head coach Ben Johnson listed Williams as a full participant on Wednesday, but the workout was a walkthrough and participation is an approximation. Williams said he’s extremely confident in his health and his style of play won’t change if he receives medical clearance to face the Falcons.
“I can move, I can run, I hit top speed the other day. One of the highest speeds I’ve ever hit,” Williams said.
To put in mildly, Williams was perturbed discussing reports about the severity of his hamstring injury and his use of a cart to reach the locker room. Williams declined to state the severity — or grade — of his hamstring tear other than to say it was a “pretty serious one.”
“I care about this team, this organization, winning, and being out there with my teammates,” Williams said. “Not being able to play was frustrating, and that’s where the emotion came from. All the noise and false reports from people outside the building don’t bother me, if you didn’t hear it straight from me or the organization, it isn’t true. We’ll be back out there soon and ready to roll.”