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Bears Coach Ben Johnson Prepares for First Backup QB Start Amid Caleb Williams Injury

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson prepares to start a backup quarterback for the first time as the team faces the Minnesota Vikings with Caleb Williams sidelined.

4 publishers · 18 articles · first seen 16 Sept 2026 · updated 37d ago

Headline and summary written by an AI model from the linked articles; not reviewed by a person. How this was made

First reported by SI Feed, 14 min ahead of the next publisher · who breaks stories first

This story has stopped developing; this page is its permanent record. More from that day

The odds

How the odds moved · Ben Johnson
0%50%100%6%22 Sept, 23:11 UTCnowSI Feed: Bears vs. Eagles Expert Prediction Roundup: Can the Bears Win Without Caleb? · 24 Sept, 20:00 UTCSI Feed: Caleb Williams Injury Could Leave Ben Johnson in Uncharted Territory For Bears-Eagles · 24 Sept, 16:00 UTCSI Feed: How Ben Johnson and Bears Adjust to a Different QB ... If Necessary · 23 Sept, 23:50 UTCCBS Sports Headlines: Ben Johnson is facing challenge he's never encountered in coaching career as Bears prepare for Eagles · 23 Sept, 18:14 UTCSI Feed: Alarming Caleb Williams Stat Shows Bears' Biggest Offensive Struggle · 23 Sept, 12:00 UTC

Each tick is a source publishing on this story · 13 more published before price tracking began

Price data
TimeChance of yes
now6%
24 Sept, 00:16 UTC8%
22 Sept, 23:11 UTC1%

The story so far

4 publishers have covered this in 18 articles since 16 Sept 2026. SI Feed published first, on 16 September at 23:00 UTC; www.espn.com followed 14 min later. The most recent article, from SI Feed, appeared on 24 September at 20:00 UTC.

Outlets reporting it: www.espn.com (major outlet), SI Feed, feeds.bleacherreport.com, CBS Sports Headlines.

3 prediction markets price this story:

  • Ben Johnson — the market puts it at 6%, closing 1 Mar 2027. The market resolves to Yes if the head coach of the Chicago Bears leaves or announces his departure before March 1, 2027. Otherwise, it resolves to No. Readers often mistake the linked story about a backup quarterback for the actual resolution condition.
  • Caleb Williams — the market puts it at 59%, closing 2 Feb 2027. Caleb Williams must throw for at least 3,000 yards in the 2026-27 NFL regular season for the outcome to be Yes. The count includes only official passing yards from regular-season games and excludes playoffs or preseason. Readers often mistake the deadline as the end of the calendar year rather than the conclusion of the 2026-27 regular season.
  • Caleb Williams — the market puts it at 6%, with $21 traded in the last 24 hours, closing 2 Feb 2027. The outcome is Yes if Caleb Williams throws for at least 4,000 passing yards in the 2026-27 NFL regular season. The outcome is No if he fails to reach that total. Readers often mistake the deadline or confuse the 2026-27 season with other years.

Odds are the market's probability that the outcome happens, updated every few minutes. They are information about what traders expect, not a forecast we make and not investment advice.

How it unfolded

Every source in the order it published, with the odds on Ben Johnson at that moment. A dash means the source published before we started tracking prices.

  1. SI FeedBears' Ben Johnson Admits to Being on Torturous Path Before Showdown With Brian Flores, Vikings—
  2. www.espn.comBears, Williams prepare for 'great challenge' vs. Flores-led Vikings defense—
  3. SI FeedBen Johnson Often Guesses Right with Vikes' Brian Flores but It's a War—
  4. feeds.bleacherreport.comCaleb Williams Addresses 'Mental War' vs. Flores, Vikings as Ben Johnson, Bears Eye Historic Offense—
  5. SI FeedVikings' Dallas Turner Admits Bears QB Caleb Williams 'Might Be' NFL's Best at Avoiding Sacks—
  6. SI FeedFormer Vikings LB Gives Brian Flores a Caleb Williams Blueprint—
  7. SI FeedEven Planning Genius Ben Johnson Appreciates One More Random Bears Weapon—
  8. SI FeedVikings Admit to Difficulty in Trying to Prepare For Bears QB Caleb Williams—
  9. SI FeedHow the Bears Can Survive Without Quarterback Caleb Williams—
  10. SI FeedVikings DC Brian Flores' Gamble Hit the Jackpot Against the Bears in Week 2—
  11. Show 8 later sources
    1. feeds.bleacherreport.comAfter Caleb Williams' Injury, NFL Execs Don't Hold Back on Ben Johnson's 'Schtick' and Bears Future—
    2. SI FeedBen Johnson Confident In Likely Event He Starts a Backup QB for First Time—
    3. SI FeedEven Vikings Coach Noted Poor Rookie Bears Special Teams Play—
    4. SI FeedAlarming Caleb Williams Stat Shows Bears' Biggest Offensive Struggle1%
    5. CBS Sports HeadlinesBen Johnson is facing challenge he's never encountered in coaching career as Bears prepare for Eagles1%
    6. SI FeedHow Ben Johnson and Bears Adjust to a Different QB ... If Necessary1%
    7. SI FeedCaleb Williams Injury Could Leave Ben Johnson in Uncharted Territory For Bears-Eagles8%▲7 points since the previous source
    8. SI FeedBears vs. Eagles Expert Prediction Roundup: Can the Bears Win Without Caleb?8%
  12. Current odds6%

Sources

Every article we clustered into this story. Headlines link to the publisher.

  1. Bears, Williams prepare for 'great challenge' vs. Flores-led Vikings defense www.espn.com ·
  2. Bears vs. Eagles Expert Prediction Roundup: Can the Bears Win Without Caleb? SI Feed
  3. Caleb Williams Injury Could Leave Ben Johnson in Uncharted Territory For Bears-Eagles SI Feed
  4. How Ben Johnson and Bears Adjust to a Different QB ... If Necessary SI Feed
  5. Ben Johnson is facing challenge he's never encountered in coaching career as Bears prepare for Eagles CBS Sports Headlines
  6. Alarming Caleb Williams Stat Shows Bears' Biggest Offensive Struggle SI Feed
Show 12 more sources
  1. Even Vikings Coach Noted Poor Rookie Bears Special Teams Play SI Feed
  2. Ben Johnson Confident In Likely Event He Starts a Backup QB for First Time SI Feed
  3. After Caleb Williams' Injury, NFL Execs Don't Hold Back on Ben Johnson's 'Schtick' and Bears Future feeds.bleacherreport.com
  4. Vikings DC Brian Flores' Gamble Hit the Jackpot Against the Bears in Week 2 SI Feed
  5. How the Bears Can Survive Without Quarterback Caleb Williams SI Feed
  6. Vikings Admit to Difficulty in Trying to Prepare For Bears QB Caleb Williams SI Feed
  7. Even Planning Genius Ben Johnson Appreciates One More Random Bears Weapon SI Feed
  8. Former Vikings LB Gives Brian Flores a Caleb Williams Blueprint SI Feed
  9. Vikings' Dallas Turner Admits Bears QB Caleb Williams 'Might Be' NFL's Best at Avoiding Sacks SI Feed
  10. Caleb Williams Addresses 'Mental War' vs. Flores, Vikings as Ben Johnson, Bears Eye Historic Offense feeds.bleacherreport.com
  11. Ben Johnson Often Guesses Right with Vikes' Brian Flores but It's a War SI Feed
  12. Bears' Ben Johnson Admits to Being on Torturous Path Before Showdown With Brian Flores, Vikings SI Feed

Related prediction markets

Linked by software because they are about the same subject. Most ask a different question from the one this story reports, so read each market's own question. How often the link is right

  • Kalshi Ben Johnson 6% $0 24hends 1 Mar 2027

    Does the market have this right?

    Wrong market?

  • Kalshi Caleb Williams 59% $0 24hends 2 Feb 2027

    Does the market have this right?

    Wrong market?

  • Kalshi Caleb Williams 6% $21 24hends 2 Feb 2027

    Does the market have this right?

    Wrong market?

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In this story

  • Ben Johnson
  • Caleb Williams
  • Brian Flores
  • Chicago Bears
  • Minnesota Vikings
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