Caleb Williams a Full Participant in Practice as Bears Signal His Return Is Near

The Chicago Bears may have their starting quarterback back soon. Caleb Williams was listed as a full participant on Wednesday's estimated injury report, and NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that head coach Ben Johnson told reporters the designation is a sign his return is coming.

Wednesday's session was a walkthrough, so the participation figures were estimates, but full participation marks a clear step forward for a quarterback the Bears have sorely missed. Chicago was beaten 31-7 by Green Bay in Week 5 with a different starter, and the team now turns toward a Week 6 meeting with Atlanta.

Johnson also provided updates on several other injured Bears. Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo will likely miss time with a quad injury but is not expected to need a stint on injured reserve. Linebacker T.J. Edwards is week-to-week with a hamstring problem, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is day-to-day, while Kyler Gordon was also a full participant.

Getting Williams back would be a major boost for a Bears side that has kept winning without him at times but looked overmatched against the Packers. If the full-participation tag holds through the week, Chicago could have its QB1 under centre again on Sunday.