Sports

Vikings defeat Bears 9-3 in Soldier Field opener as Williams suffers apparent hamstring injury

Nairavoice · Sep 21, 2026 · 5 min read

The Chicago Bears’ home opener Sunday ended in disappointment, with fans leaving Soldier Field drenched and worried about Caleb Williams, who suffered a hamstring injury.

Isaiah Rodgers recovered a fumble and blocked a late field-goal attempt, and the Minnesota Vikings shut down Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears for a 9-3 victory on a rainy Sunday.

Aaron Jones rushed for 105 yards as Minnesota improved to 2-0 for the first time since it opened the 2024 season with five consecutive wins. Will Reichard kicked three field goals, including a 39-yarder with 1:09 left.

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Williams departed with a right hamstring injury midway through the fourth quarter, silencing a drenched crowd of 58,914 at Soldier Field.

Tyson Bagent replaced Williams, and the drive ended when Cairo Santos’ 23-yard field goal was blocked by Isaiah Rodgers – preserving Minnesota’s 6-3 lead.

Led by Dallas Turner, Minnesota limited Chicago to 297 yards of offense. Turner had two of the Vikings’ four sacks, and Byron Murphy Jr. intercepted an ill-advised throw by Williams in the first quarter.

The Bears (1-1) rolled to 291 yards rushing and 552 yards overall in their 59-37 victory at Carolina in Week 1. It was the highest-scoring season opener in NFL history.

Williams got hurt Sunday on a scramble deep in Minnesota territory with about 7 1/2 minutes left. The third-year quarterback, who passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more in the opener, was helped off the field.

The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft was helped off the wet field on a rainy afternoon at Soldier Field.

The 24-year-old Williams had a towel draped over his head as he was carted to the locker room. He took the towel off as the cart moved along the sideline and pumped his right arm to rev up the sullen crowd of 58,914.

Williams was 15 for 26 for 138 yards with an interception. He also had five carries for 42 yards.

“I mean you could kind of see in real time. I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said. “That was my first inclination. But yeah, a hamstring can be pretty damaging as well. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there. It’s quickly you’ve got to turn the page.

Tyson Bagent came in and passed to D’Andre Swift for 1 yard before throwing an incomplete pass on third down. Johnson then sent Cairo Santos on for a 23-yard field goal, but it was blocked by Rodgers.

After Carson Wentz drove Minnesota to Reichard’s third field goal, Chicago had one last opportunity. Bagent found Rome Odunze for 21 yards and Luther Burden for 8 to move the ball to the Vikings 12.

Following a pair of incompletions, Bagent was sacked by Turner on the final play.

Wentz was 11 for 20 for 143 yards, and Justin Jefferson had three receptions for 55 yards. Wentz got the start with Kyler Murray working his way through the NFL concussion protocol.

Trailing 6-3, Williams drove Chicago to first-and-goal on the 1 on the first drive of the second half. But Swift fumbled on a hit by Jalen Redmond and Rodgers recovered for Minnesota (2-0).

The teams exchanged field goals on the opening drives of the game. Jefferson’s 30-yard reception helped set up Reichard’s 35-yarder, and Williams’ 19-yard run was the big play in Chicago’s drive to Santos’ 50-yard field goal.

Fans react to Williams injury, Bears loss; doctor provides insight

As the quarterback was carted off the field in the fourth quarter after sustaining a hamstring injury, trainers rushed to his side as he struggled to stand.

“[It] was probably something serious,” fan Bobby Nesby said. “I’m just praying it’s not.”

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Riff of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth watched the injury live.

“I think we’re all fearing the worst,” Riff said. “He’s the critical piece of, probably, the team that we’ve been most optimistic about for a long, long time.”

“This was, really, sort of an overstriding-type injury, and that is classic for a hamstring strain,” he said.

The moment sent Bears fans into disbelief as their star quarterback left the game.

“When we saw him getting kind of helped off the field, I think our minds went to, ‘Is this the Madden curse?'” fan Sam Razi said.

ESPN reports that Williams will undergo imaging on his right hamstring Monday.

Riff said the rehabilitation plan will likely last for weeks and could require crutches.

“The hope is that within, you know, two to three weeks, we might see him kind of training with the guys,” Riff said.

Williams’ injury overshadowed the Bears’ 9-3 loss to the Vikings. At times, both teams appeared to struggle on a wet and slippery Soldier Field.

“You saw everybody slipping and sliding on the field,” fan Julie Zhu told said. “They were having trouble, obviously, catching the ball because it was so slippery.”

Zhu and her family were among the thousands in the stands. They were wearing ponchos.

“[It] comes every which way, and then the ponchos go flying, and it gets in everybody’s way. There’s [an] obstructed view, but at least it wasn’t pouring,” she said.

Fans are now left hoping Williams will return to play as the season gets started.

“Caleb, if you can hear me, we all love you so much,” fan Connor Radtke said. “As long as he’s OK and he gets back out there at some point, we got your back, brother.”