NFL Catchup: Saquon Barkley Among 24 Eagles On Injury Report; Caleb Williams Returns

Wednesday in the NFL brought updates on two quarterbacks working their way back from injury.

The Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears provided updates on their situations ahead of the weekend.

Lamar Jackson is inching closer to a return for the Ravens, while Caleb Williams took a real step forward in Chicago.

Jackson was absent again from the portion of Ravens practice open to reporters, but there's a "realistic chance" he plays Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

Meanwhile, Williams was a full participant in the Bears’ Wednesday walkthrough, the clearest sign yet that he could be back under center against the Atlanta Falcons.

Here’s the latest from around the NFL on Wednesday.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams took a real step toward returning for Sunday’s game against the Falcons, serving as a full participant in Chicago’s Wednesday walkthrough after missing the past three weeks with a hamstring injury.

It’s a positive sign that Williams could be back on the field soon, but head coach Ben Johnson didn't rush to say his return would come against Atlanta when asked who would start under center this week.

"It’s still fluid," Johnson told reporters, "but I feel good about the plan that we have in place at this point." Williams showed progress last week, logging a limited practice and working through pregame warm-ups as he inches closer to a return.

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner was initially expected to miss three to four games after injuring his hamstring in Week 2, and the Bears went 2-1 without him, with backups Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent each starting and picking up a win, though Bagent struggled in last week’s 31-7 loss to the Packers.

Johnson also acknowledged the tight turnaround before Chicago’s Thursday night game against the Falcons could factor into how the team handles the quarterback's workload regardless of who starts.

"I don't know that any of them are exactly 100% at this point of the season, so that's something that we certainly look at," Johnson said.

Running back Saquon Barkley and Wide Receiver DeVonta Smith both sat out again Wednesday as the Eagles opened their practice week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Panthers, both still nursing hamstring injuries.

Barkley missed last week’s game in London after playing just four snaps against the Rams the week prior, and Smith has now missed the last two games.