Caleb Williams faces injury setback amid NFL quarterback shifts
Caleb Williams faces a three to four week injury absence that threatens his 4,000 passing yard goal. Meanwhile, Justin Fields leads the Jets to a victory over the Steelers, prompting Pittsburgh to consider a return from Aaron Rodgers.
Williams and the Bears offensive line
Caleb Williams faces a three to four week absence due to injury. This setback makes the franchise record of 4,000 passing yards unlikely. He has 407 passing yards this season. He needs 3,593 more yards over 11 games to reach that mark. The Chicago Bears offensive line situation creates additional concern. The team selected center Logan Jones in the second round. Mike Renner calls the Jones selection the "worst decision of the NFL Draft" because the player may struggle with pass protection. This situation follows a 2024 season where Williams took 68 sacks. In 2025, his sack total dropped to 23. In 2024, he had 19 sacks and 5 fumbles. The Bears need Williams to stay healthy to capitalize on his rookie contract. He ranks second among quarterbacks on rookie contracts behind Drake Maye. His current cap hit sits at $10.8 million. Williams recorded 269 passing yards and 2 touchdowns in his first game of 2026. He took 2 sacks in that matchup. The team must decide if they will start Garrett Bradbury or integrate Jones. The Bears decision to prioritize a rookie center over veteran stability is a mistake. Williams threw for 3,393 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2024 and 3,730 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025. The team also signed safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush to bolster the defense.
Justin Fields and the Steelers’ search
Justin Fields completed 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown to lead the Jets to a 34-32 victory over the Steelers. He signed a $40 million contract in March. The Steelers now look toward Aaron Rodgers to fill their quarterback vacancy. Rodgers previously recorded 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns for Pittsburgh. Tom Pelissero says the odds of a Rodgers return to the Steel City are increasing. Mike McCarthy leads the Steelers now. The team won the AFC North last season. The Steelers offense ranked 25th in the league last year with 305.6 yards. McCarthy led the Cowboys to the 17th-best offense in 2024 with 327.5 yards.
| Player | 2026 Metric | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Caleb Williams | Passing Yards | 269 |
| Caleb Williams | Sacks Taken | 2 |
| Justin Fields | Completion % | 72.7 |
| Justin Fields | Passing Yards | 218 |
You should watch how the Steelers manage this roster transition. The franchise has options like Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. Will the Steelers prioritize veteran stability or youth? The decision on a quarterback remains vital to their postseason chances. Fields has 7,998 passing yards and 46 touchdowns in 50 career games. He also has 7,780 rushing yards and 44 rushing touchdowns. The Jets use him to exhaust defenses alongside Isaiah Davis, Braelon Allen, and Breece Hall. The Jets also drafted offensive tackle Armand Membou. Fields achieved an adjusted completion percentage of 88.9% during his recent performance. His best passing grade was 90.4.
Quarterback injuries across the league
Injuries continue to impact various quarterback situations across the league. Lamar Jackson suffered a thumb injury this past Sunday. The Ravens must now prepare for life after their starter. Caleb Williams needs to recover before the Bears can chase a postseason run. The Bears players understand the difficulty of winning over a locker room with a new quarterback. Former general manager Randy Mueller noted that players might defend Justin Fields. The Bears front office must weigh the skill set of Williams against the existing team chemistry. Williams’s ceiling starts higher than Fields’s. The team sits at 6-9 on the season and looks to miss the playoffs. Ravens general manager Eric Deconst and owner Steve Bisciotti must prepare for life after Lamar Jackson’s season-ending thumb injury. John Harbaugh mentioned that making big trades is difficult because the league is small. The Giants are also looking for moves before the trade deadline on November 10.
