Caleb Williams is moving closer to returning for the Chicago Bears, but head coach Ben Johnson isn't ready to name him the starting quarterback for Sunday's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
Williams, who has missed three consecutive games with a hamstring injury, was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's estimated practice report. However, because Chicago held a walkthrough rather than a traditional practice, his designation doesn't necessarily mean he's ready for game action.
Johnson said the quarterback situation is still fluid, even as he sounded comfortable with the plan the Bears have in place.
"It's still fluid," Johnson said. "But I feel good about the plan that we have in place at this point."
Williams injured his right hamstring during Chicago's Week 2 loss to Minnesota while attempting to score on a fourth-quarter run. The former No. 1 overall pick has been working toward a return, including a pregame workout at Lambeau Field before last Sunday's loss to Green Bay.
The Bears have gone 2-1 during Williams' absence, with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum handling quarterback duties. Bagent struggled against the Packers, adding urgency to Williams' potential return.
Chicago travels to Atlanta on Sunday, then hosts New England four days later on Thursday Night Football.
That quick turnaround could factor into how aggressively the Bears approach Williams' recovery.
Meanwhile, Atlanta appears to have more clarity at quarterback.
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said Michael Penix Jr. is expected to start against Chicago, provided his recovery from a rib injury continues as planned.
Penix exited Sunday's loss to Baltimore and was unable to return for overtime, leaving Tua Tagovailoa to finish the game. But Penix reported taking all first-team repetitions Wednesday and said he was able to make every throw during practice.
While Atlanta is preparing for Penix to start, Chicago is keeping its options open.
The next significant development will come Thursday, when the Bears return to a full practice. Williams' participation and workload should provide a clearer indication of whether he'll be under center Sunday.
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