Caleb Williams nears return, and Bears show they need their QB in lopsided loss to Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The good news for the Chicago Bears on a hugely disappointing day is the possibility that quarterback Caleb Williams is getting closer to returning from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him for three games.

Chicago coach Ben Johnson said after a 31-7 loss at Green Bay on Sunday that Williams might be available when the Bears visit Atlanta next week. Williams practiced on a limited basis Friday.

“He’s on track,” Johnson said. “We’ll see if it’s Atlanta or after. I think it’s going to be close.”

The Bears certainly could use him.

Chicago (3-2) won its first two games without Williams, who hurt his right hamstring in a 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20. Case Keenum led the Bears against Philadelphia, and Tyson Bagent took over for the victory against the New York Jets.

But the Bears’ offense looked dreadful Sunday without Williams, who orchestrated memorable come-from-behind victories over the Packers late in the regular season and again in a wild-card game last season. It didn’t help that the Bears also were missing running back Kyle Monangai due to thumb and toe injuries.

Bagent went 12 of 21 for 87 yards with two interceptions, both by Xavier McKinney. Keenum replaced Bagent with the Bears already trailing 31-7 early in the fourth quarter, and he went 11 of 19 for 108 yards while throwing one interception and losing a fumble on a strip sack. Each quarterback was sacked twice.

Johnson was asked after the game how he would handle his quarterback situation against Atlanta if Williams isn’t available.

“We’ll do the same thing we do every week,” he said. “We talk as a staff. We’ll recap this game. And we’ll make a decision next week what’s best for us.”

Chicago’s offense struggled in just about every respect Sunday.

The Bears entered with an NFL-leading 196.3 yards rushing per game, but they gained just 81 yards on 24 carries. D’Andre Swift ran for 43 yards and scored Chicago’s lone touchdown on fourth down from the 1 in the second quarter. He didn’t get much help without Monangai.

Keenum is confident the Bears will bounce back no matter who’s at quarterback.

“There’s a lot you find out about yourself in this part of the season, and you’re kind of becoming the team that you’re going to be,” said the 38-year-old Keenum, who came back for a 12th season after being out of football the past two years. “Your identity is getting forged sometimes through fire. And it was in the fire today. So, we’ll see what kind of identity we have coming out of the back end of this thing.”

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Green Bay Packers cornerback Brandon Cisse sacks Chicago Bears' Tyson Bagent during the first half of an NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

Chicago Bears' Case Keenum fumbles as he is hit by Green Bay Packers' Devonte Wyatt during the second half of an NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

Chicago Bears' Caleb Williams is seen before an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Chicago Bears' Case Keenum fumbles as he is hit by Green Bay Packers' Devonte Wyatt during the second half of an NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are considering firing U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after a series of reports alleging she has engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.

A senior U.S. official said Sunday that Trump and Rubio are “extremely pissed off” by Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and would likely decide on what action to take this week after Monday’s Columbus Day holiday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Rubio had been particularly angry, not least because he visited Athens just last week and Guilfoyle attended most, if not all, of his events and greeted him on his arrival with a bear hug as the allegations swirled.

In a series of stories, The Wall Street Journal has reported questionable conduct by Guilfoyle, including an alleged threat to a host country official, accepting improper gifts and services and offering to use her influence inside the administration in return for the payment of a large credit card bill.

Guilfoyle has not addressed the reports directly, although her lawyer has said she did nothing wrong and the U.S. embassy in Athens has tacitly expressed support for her.

After defending Guilfoyle following the first report, Rubio has declined to comment publicly on the growing allegations. On Wednesday, Rubio said: “Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here.”

But after another report appeared late Wednesday, Rubio on Thursday before leaving Athens berated journalists for asking about the allegations saying he didn’t know if they were true and that he would not respond if he could not confirm.

“You guys walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it’s the gospel. It’s not the gospel. It’s not the gospel for me. That’s not the way we do things,” Rubio said at the foot of his plane as Guilfoyle, who was there to see him depart, looked on.

The official said that Rubio had grown increasingly frustrated as the reports multiplied.

A second U.S official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said the State Department’s inspector general is looking into the allegations, which first began surfacing in the Journal late last month and have since multiplied.

The second official could not say if a formal IG probe had begun. Inspectors general often conduct informal inquiries into complaints against staffers and many times those inquiries do not result in a full-on investigation, which can result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

The State Department has declined to comment on a potential IG investigation.

The top two Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, as well as the ranking member on the House Committee for Oversight and Government Reform, Robert Garcia, D-Calif., have already called for an investigation into Guilfoyle.

Since late September, the Journal has detailed numerous accounts of questionable conduct by Guilfoyle. Its first report said that she had told guests at a reception that the U.S. could undermine the Greek government if it chose to, promoted the business interests of one particular Greek construction and energy company, and allowed its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings.

While Rubio was in Athens, the Journal reported — citing text messages — that Guilfoyle had asked a Trump donor and supporter to pay a $100,000 credit card bill just before her confirmation hearing, promising him access to administration officials if he did.

The Journal then reported that Guilfoyle had been enraged about not being invited to a Greek-themed event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier this year and demanded to attend while boasting about luxury travel to France with energy company executives.

Another report, from the British tabloid The Daily Mail, said that Guilfoyle had alienated staff at the U.S. embassy in Athens and had pushed the bounds of behavior appropriate for the top representative of the U.S. government to Greece.

Guilfoyle is a former Fox News Channel host and California prosecutor who was once engaged to Trump’s son Donald Jr.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, and U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle stand at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport near Athens, Greece, before Rubio boards a plane , Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle speak during a dedication ceremony at the chancery of the U.S. Embassy, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Athens, Greece. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)