Bears QB Caleb Williams Uncertain He Plays vs Falcons, Plus Other Takeaways

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Caleb Williams made sure to address his playing status for this Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons at the beginning of his opening statement at Halas Hall on Thursday afternoon. 

"Do not know, before you start asking, do not know if I’m playing yet," Williams said. "Have to go through a bunch of medical protocols, obviously have to get out there and practice, do the stress testing that, obviously, you do when you’re trying to come back from injury or serious injury. So that’s first."

The Chicago Bears' quarterback emphasized this is a "big week" for him to determine he can return to game action for the first time since injuring his hamstring in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. He was a full participant in Thursday's practice.

Williams will undergo a stress test at the end of the week and the team will make a decision from there. He shared what that test will involve. 

"It’s data, loading it," Williams said. "Practice is loading it in many different positions just because you’ve got a D-line rushing you, so you’re putting your body in positions that you can’t really replicate because it’s more of a reaction in practice and game. You’re putting yourself in those positions in practice and that’s a stress test of being able to go through a whole week and see how it goes and then you get to the end of the week, you feel good and medical approves and strength and conditioning approves with my strength and the flexibility and all of that, all that good stuff that they all know, it’s a team working together trying to get it right.”

The Bears' quarterback has been gathering data points, including his extensive workout before the Week 5 game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Williams' goal for that throwing session was to see if he can perform his everyday movements and to stay in shape. 

Towards the end of Williams' opening statement, the Bears' quarterback shared his genuine displeasure with how his injury was reported. 

"I would say from y’alls side and things like that is being able to report it in the right way, right manner and then from there if you haven’t heard it from bossman himself [Ben Johnson] or out of the horse’s mouth — me — it would probably be wrong," Williams said. "Which every single one has been. That’s that and that’s really all I got."

Williams confirmed "it was a hamstring tear and a pretty serious one."

However, he wouldn't disclose the grade of his hamstring injury, stating that "it's not deserving" for people to know after all the false reports.  Williams was pressed about his secrecy of the injury but wouldn't budge, forcing to press conference to go elsewhere. 

NBC's Mike Florio joined the Sunday Night Football broadcast and shared an update just hours after Williams' injury. This was before Williams had an MRI. 

"It looked bad, but I'm told there is optimism that it is not a severe injury," Florio said. "It could be as slight as a Grade 1. That's the lowest level hamstring injury, but the will know tomorrow."

A week later, ESPN's Adam Schefter shared that Williams actually had a Grade 2 hamstring, which is considered to be a three-to-four week injury. Williams said every report was wrong, so it leaves questions about the severity and what exactly the Bears' quarterback didn't like with the reporting. 

When the injury happened, he does remember feeling a pop and didn't know at the time if it was a season-ending injury until he got the MRI the next day. 

After the past couple of weeks of increased physical activity, Williams is feeling good about his injury, but what about the psychologically part of trusting his hamstring?

"Yeah, I mean, I trust myself," Williams said. "I trust my body. I trust my guys. And so, if I’m out there, I’m out there and it’s full trust. If I’m not out there, I need a little more time."

He also mentioned he will take hesitate to off if he needs to run. 

Bears head coach Ben Johnson will address the media for the final time on Friday before the team heads to Atlanta. Maybe then there will be an official answer about Williams' status for Sunday or it could be a game-time decision to see if he returns under at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.