Bears QB Caleb Williams is 'week to week' with hamstring injury, coach Ben Johnson says

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson called Caleb Williams’ right hamstring injury a “week-to-week” situation while offering a largely positive update a day after the quarterback was helped off the field and carted to the locker room.

Williams left Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Minnesota after he got hurt on a scramble deep in Vikings territory with about 7 1/2 minutes left. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft was replaced by Tyson Bagent.

Johnson said he doesn’t think Williams will practice this week, but he isn’t ruling him out for Chicago's matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles next Monday night.

“He’s right now working through every avenue that he’s got available to get back on track here," Johnson said. “We’ll see what that looks like. Here’s what I know: This guy’s a little bit different than the average human being. ... He gets back, he has in the past, a lot faster than what people can anticipate. I’m not putting a timeline on this. We’re going to say week to week.”

After the home game against Philadelphia, the Bears (1-1) take on the New York Jets on Oct. 4 before visiting the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 11.

Playing in a steady rain at Soldier Field, Williams was 15 for 26 for 138 yards with an interception. He also had five carries for 42 yards against Minnesota.

The 24-year-old Williams had a towel over his head after he first got on the cart for the trip to the locker room. He took the towel off as the cart moved along the sideline and pumped his right arm to rev up the sullen crowd of 58,914.

“We’ll see where he’s at as the week progresses and how long that means, but it was somewhat encouraging the report that we got,” Johnson said Monday.

If Williams is unable to go, Bagent would step in versus the Eagles. The Bears also have Case Keenum on their roster.

Bagent was 5 for 9 for 54 yards against the Vikings. He had a record-setting career at Division II Shepherd University before signing with the Bears in May 2023 as an undrafted free agent.

“He’s got full confidence in himself. We have full confidence in him,” offensive lineman Jonah Jackson said, “and we know he can dink and dump the ball around and sling it and also get active with his feet.”

Bagent, 26, made four starts while appearing in five games as rookie, passing for 859 yards and three touchdowns with six interceptions. He signed a two-year contract extension in August 2025.

“If it goes that route, I feel strongly about what he’s capable of and our team does, too," Johnson said. “They know he’s a darn good football player.”

The rainy conditions helped, but the defense looked much better than it did during a 59-37 win at Carolina in the opener. Minnesota went 3 for 13 on third down and finished with just 246 yards.

Rookie safety Dillon Thieneman and defensive lineman James Lynch tied for the team lead with seven tackles apiece, and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo was credited with his first sack since Sept. 8, 2025, also against the Vikings.

Penalties are becoming a major issue. Chicago was flagged 11 times on Sunday. Eight were accepted for a total of 58 yards, compared to three for 25 for Minnesota.

Veteran center Garrett Bradbury was responsible for four of the flags, two for holding and two for false starts. Bradbury was acquired in an offseason trade with New England after Drew Dalman decided to retire.

The Bears were penalized 12 times for 57 yards in Week 1, but their offense was good enough to overcome the mistakes. That wasn’t the case in the rain against the Vikings.

Malik Muhammad picked up his first career sack on a blitz late in the third quarter. The rookie cornerback had his first interception in his NFL debut in Week 1.

The 22-year-old Muhammad was a fourth-round draft pick out of Texas.

Sam Roush struggled in his first NFL home game. The rookie tight end was flagged for an illegal shift with 3:02 left in the second quarter, wiping out a 14-yard catch for Colston Loveland. He had a chance for a touchdown reception in the fourth quarter, but he was unable to secure the ball before he was hit by Vikings safety Theo Jackson.

Roush also was lined up on the same edge as Isaiah Rodgers when Rodgers blocked Cairo Santos’ 23-yard field goal in the fourth.

There was no update on cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who injured a hamstring during Sunday's loss.

0 — Chicago went 0 for 3 in the red zone — all in the second half — against Minnesota. It went 4 for 4 in the red zone in its Week 1 victory at Carolina.

Chicago hosts the Philadelphia Eagles next Monday night. The Bears beat the Eagles 24-15 in Philadelphia on Nov. 28, rushing for 281 yards and two TDs in the impressive victory. The Bears lead 30-14-1 in the all-time series.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is carted off the field after an injury during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) lies on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) waves as he is carted off the field after an injury during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is carted off the field after an injury during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Hundreds of flights were canceled in the U.S. Northeast due to technical problems at a key regional air traffic control center, as every major airport in the New York City area ground to a halt for several hours Monday just as numerous foreign leaders were flying to the United Nations General Assembly.

However, President Donald Trump's flight from Washington to New York was able to depart as scheduled.

The technical problems happened at the same Federal Aviation Administration facility in Philadelphia that caused numerous disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport in the spring of 2025.

Regional control centers like these have two lines that carry data in and out: the primary and the backup. The FAA said a circuit on the primary failed Monday morning, and when the system tried to switch to the backup, workers discovered that the fiber optic line had been cut. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said an Amtrak construction crew was to blame.

The outage affected flights for Philadelphia as well as Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports.

By early afternoon, some flights were starting to resume at LaGuardia, Kennedy and in Philadelphia. However, significant delays were expected through the rest of the day.

Some airlines were allowing their customers to change flights without charging them fees. The FAA advised travelers to check the status of their flights with their airline before heading to the airport.

FAA administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters that the agency is working to restore the primary connection as soon as possible by installing a new circuit on the primary line, while also working to repair the backup fiber optic line. He said it’s not clear how long that will take. Verizon said its technicians are working to restore service as soon as possible.

“That fiber break is probably 13 hours to repair. It’s massive,” Bedford said, according to a video posted online by a CBS transportation reporter. He said that the FAA may be able to install a new circuit to get the primary line working again even before the fiber line is fixed.

The primary circuit that failed is due to be replaced as part of the overhaul of the nation’s air traffic control system.

Also Monday, the FAA began testing a new computer system that uses AI to help predict schedule conflicts and weather issues to help air traffic controllers reroute traffic. But that system is initially being tested only in the Washington, D.C., area, so it does not appear to be linked to the outages.

FILE - A traveler with a smartphone walks past an air traffic control tower at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia on March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)