CHICAGO, Sept. 23 -- Seven minutes remained and the Bears were trailing by three, inside the Vikings' 6-yard line, with Caleb Williams about to run. The play was a scramble, as they often are when Williams sees a lane. What nobody at Soldier Field expected was what happened next: his right leg buckled without contact, and Williams grabbed at his hamstring as he went down, unable to put weight on it. Trainers helped him off the field. He was later carted to the locker room with a towel over his head. The Bears' season changed shape in those seconds.

Chicago fell to Minnesota 9-3 on Sunday, dropping to 0-2 in a game they could not complete with their starting quarterback. Tyson Bagent came on for Williams in the final minutes and threw for...