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It’s a Saturday scoop from ESPN’s Adam Schefter: Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is set to start in Sunday’s Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. And suddenly, all feels right in the Bears’ football world. Because QB1 was clearly irked by the reporting around his injury this past week, I want to share Schefty’s exact verbiage. “He’s back,” Schefter writes in his tweet breaking the news. “The Bears are planning to start Caleb Williams after he missed the past three games due to a torn hamstring but went through a full week of practice this week without any setbacks, per NFLN and ESPN.” The Bears went 2-1 while Caleb Williams was out of the lineup with his injured hamstring. Wins against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets at home were wonderful to watch. The loss against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field? Well, not so much. CHECK OUT THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube Case Keenum performed admirably in his start against the Eagles, turning back the clock with a stellar performance on Monday Night Football. Tyson Bagent’s two starts were a mixed bag. He did well in the game-manager role in the victory against the Jets, but struggled mightily when facing the Packers. There is a part of me that wonders how the depth chart will look behind Williams on Sunday. But all of me hopes we never have to find out. Oct 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) hugs New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) after the game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Caleb Williams isn’t the only one making a triumphant comeback in Week 6. The Bears announced earlier on Saturday that cornerback Kyler Gordon has been activated from injured reserve. Gordon’s return is one of several notable transactions from Saturday. While Gordon returns from the sideline, defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo is hitting IR and will miss at least the next four games. Running back Kyle Monangai remains out of action, but has not been placed on IR. Safety Xavier Woods has been let go. It’s been busy around here, to say the least. We’ll have plenty more on the Bears before Sunday’s kickoff. More Caleb Williams Coverage From Bleacher Nation: Go Ad-Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

In the wake of some recent NBA betting controversies, David Purdum and Shams Charania of ESPN report that the league has coordinated with its sportsbook partners (who account for 99 percent of stateside activity), including DraftKings and FanDuel, to restrict specific betting around the sport. The new stipulations include: Parlays that incorporate the unders on multiple stats for one single player (i.e. so a player would have to hit each under). Bets on what ESPN calls the “First-of” market. This includes bets that cover who wins a game’s opening tip and predicting which players will be the first to nail a certain look, rebound a basket, pass for a made shot, and more. Unders on players who are anticipated to suit up for fewer than 12 minutes per bout. Purdum and Charania observe that the NBA has previously banned bets on 10-day and two-way contract signings, fouls and missed foul shots, and turnover props. “The legalized sports betting industry is built on a foundation of dialogue and collaboration with our league partners and the states in which we operate,” a FanDuel spokesperson told ESPN. “We remain unwavering in our commitment to building a legal and regulated market that roots out abuses by those who seek to undermine fair competition and damage the integrity of the games we love.” Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. The NBA Tries to Right the Ship After Multiple Scandals Now-former NBA players Terry Rozier and Jontay Porter each have been embroiled in gambling scandals surrounding them seeming to throw stats to hit under parlays. Porter confessed in court that he deliberately left games early so that he would lock in various under prop bets. Rozier has been accused of similar behavior, but even after an indictment he continues to plead not guilty. Rozier’s court case is still pending. Sharpshooting swingman Malik Beasley was investigated last year for making prop bets on NBA games by the U.S. Attorneys Office, although his lawyers have claimed he was no longer a target. This past summer, however, Beasley and former journeymman center Ed Davis were indicted as part of a continuing federal investigation into illicit sports betting and insider information trading within the NBA. It behooves the league to quell this prop betting, especially among players who don’t command big paydays like Porter and Davis. Rozier made $160.5 million across an 11-year career; Beasley was likely to command a four-year deal in the $60 million range before his various investigations. Commissioner Adam Silver and co. also want to disincentivize figures around the game without NBA salaries, like assistant coaches and referees, in any way that could compromise the on-court product. With the betting world shifting to less-regulated peer-to-peer platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, are these moves enough to at least generally prevent players from deliberately underperforming? Betting on the game can be a blast for fans. But if steps must be taken to ensure the integrity of the actual product, that doesn’t feel like too steep a price to pay. Note of Transparency: Bleacher Nation has affiliate relationships with all major US Sportsbooks, as well as prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket.

The new-era Bulls have completed their initiation process, playing their first preseason together as a group, and we got back a mixed bag of results. Three wins and two losses in games that don’t leave an impact on the team’s record should always be taken with a grain of salt. But that also doesn’t mean we’ll stop talking Bulls basketball here. Before the season kicks off, we should take a look at what we saw from the Bulls and rate their performances. Not to form any preconceived notions about these players, but to have something to keep in the back of your mind heading into the 2026-27 NBA season. I will say that these grades are relative to the expectations we have for those player, not an overall comparison of the roster. So, let’s rip the Band-Aid off and grade these Bulls preseason performances, shall we? Incomplete Bulls Grades Players: Zach Collins, Nic Claxton, Jalen Bridges, Brandon Boston, Drew Peterson, Jaylin Sellers Limited minutes and incomplete performances automatically eliminate you from contention here. There simply wasn’t enough on the court to fairly judge these guys. Jaylin Sellers’ one game was pretty good and definitely had its fair share of highlights, but one game isn’t enough to form a grade. Sorry, Jaylin. Jaylin Sellers locked in last night. pic.twitter.com/6041afGNTX— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 17, 2026 Buddy Hield. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Grade D – Hield, & Williams It’s only preseason basketball, but there isn’t a whole lot of good to say about Buddy Hield and Patrick Williams. Hield did have one good game against the Denver Nuggets, but it says a lot when the three-point specialist with a permanent roster spot made just one more three than two-way player Jordan Hawkins, despite Hawkins playing three fewer games. Patrick Williams hit a couple of threes in a few games, but outside of that, it was pretty much regular P-Will stuff. And with the Bulls’ very stacked forward depth, he could find himself buried pretty quickly. Josh Giddey. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Grade C – Giddey, Swain, Essengue, Robinson & Okoro Reiterating the relative-to-expectations part, Josh Giddey and Isaac Okoro were alright. Giddey showcased his elite passing chops, but I’ll be honest, it was a bit disappointing not to see him score the ball as much. I was high on Giddey last season, like really high, and when he was on the floor, his multifaceted offense was really eye-catching. Seeing him be limited to just the ball-handler and playmaker role irks me a bit, but it’s okay. Someone has to sacrifice their scoring for others. Where does Josh Giddey fit in Chicago’s new rebuild?🤔 pic.twitter.com/OljMWFGDTx— ENJ🏀Y (@EnjoyBBall) October 16, 2026 Okoro has impressed head coach Tiago Splitter, who has called him the team’s best perimeter defender. But in the two-and-a-half games he did play, he was a positive on the floor in just one. Sort of what you expect from Okoro. Dailyn Swain and Noa Essengue impressed me during preseason, but I wouldn’t say the box score necessarily defined that. It’s an eye-test measure, but also a reflection of how low the expectations were for both of them. Once Swain started playing off the ball, his cutting and rim running were impressive. Noa was setting good screens, rebounding the ball and looking like a player who wanted to at least carve out a role for himself. ball is MOVING 💨Dailyn Swain in transition pic.twitter.com/vOFt4tZBYK— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) October 17, 2026 I don’t know how much of the two of them we’ll see on the main roster this season, but it was a decent preseason from both of them, to say the least. Also, really liked what I saw from Orlando Robinson in his limited role, and hope that at least the Windy City Bulls pick him for the upcoming season. Grade B – Powell, Jones, Hawkins, & Awaka Closer to the top than the bottom, Norman Powell, Jordan Hawkins, Tobe Awaka and Tre Jones round out the B-Grade. For Powell and Jones, they’re established players and, as a result, played fewer games than the young guys. But what Chicago brought them in for, scoring and playmaking, respectively, they showcased on multiple occasions. And that’s really what it comes down to at the end of the day. They did what they were supposed to do despite the limited run. Tobe Awaka and Jordan Hawkins outplayed their expectations. The only reason they’re at a B is because we saw just one really good game from each of them. Awaka’s double-double against Phoenix and Hawkins’ 6-of-8 shooting from three across his two games deserve their flowers and definitely make an argument for Bryson Graham finding some of the best two-way players we’ve seen as Bulls fans. Caleb Wilson. Credits: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Grade A – Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, & Jalen Smith Down to the class toppers, Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith all deserve the A-grade. Jalen Smith, being the only real big in the lineup, definitely got a boost from the opportunity and took full advantage of it by playing some amazing basketball. His versatility to hit threes, defend, crash the offensive glass for second-chance points and help the scoreboard would be enough for me to start him over Nic Claxton this season. His best game came against the Suns, where he finished with a stat line of 13 points, 8 rebounds (5 offensive) and 2 steals on 62% shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from behind the arc. Matas Buzelis spoke a lot in the offseason about feeling a bit restricted under the previous regime and not really showing all the best parts of his game. In the preseason, we saw that. Matas was super aggressive, slashing almost every time he had the ball. His three-point shooting was a bit inconsistent, but he didn’t rely on it, which was amazing to see. He’s also playing as the team’s point-of-attack defender, which will be fun to watch this season as well. And finally, Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson ended his preseason exactly as a top-rated, raw star would. Great performances and highlights, but far from being the perfect player. Everyone knew Caleb Wilson would be a project, and everything from his defense to his passing to his three-point shooting has room to improve. But he wanted to be the team’s leader on the floor, and he at least played like it. Caleb generated offense for himself when his shots weren’t falling, scored in double digits every night and finished the Summer League with the second-most points in the NBA. Caleb is special and had a great preseason, but the best part is that he has a lot of room to grow. Chicago Bulls forward Leonard Miller. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Grade A+ – Leonard Miller And finally, the cream of the crop, and the best preseason player for the Chicago Bulls, bar none, was Leonard Miller. Miller finished ahead of everyone in the NBA in total preseason points and had consistently big performances to get him there. Leonard Miller is leading the entire NBA in points in the preseason. pic.twitter.com/nvv8lTWYEW— Real App (@realapp) October 17, 2026 Against Phoenix, he had 14 points on 71% from the field. Against Memphis, he had 12 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double. Then came 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals on 64% shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from behind the arc. Against his former team in Minnesota, he had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. And then his best game of 26 points and 7 rebounds on 79% shooting from the field and 67% from three was just as ludicrous as it sounds. By the way, all of this was off the bench. To add to that, Tiago Splitter played Miller in a small-ball five role, something we haven’t really seen from him before, and that didn’t deter him either. I saw someone make the Jimmy Butler comparison, and obviously, Jimmy was the much better defender. But the aggression with which they both play is hard to miss. .@LeonardMi11er was on fire tonight in Denver 🔥 https://t.co/Ca0gkrskZy pic.twitter.com/a4A13jha9P— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 12, 2026 Miller is efficient, a rim runner, a screen setter and a workhorse on the glass. Extension eligible this season, if Leonard Miller can keep this up, he could be in the race for both Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year. The best part about all of this is the confidence he has in the work he’s putting in, making these results seem not surprising at all to him. Year 4 Lenny is prepared for his opportunity 😤 pic.twitter.com/c6eZRIMWgZ— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) October 15, 2026 Man, I love Leonard Miller.

Fresh off blowing out the C-list scrubs of the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves this week to cap their preseason record at 3-2, our Chicago Bulls are ditching their four training camp signings prior to Tuesday’s start of the NBA regular season. Chicago has announced that the team has cut guard Brandon Boston Jr., forwards Jalen Bridges and Drew Peterson, and center Orlando Robinson. Roster Update: We have waived C Orlando Robinson, F Jalen Bridges and G Brandon Boston Jr. and G Drew Peterson.— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 17, 2026 Now, Chicago heads into 2026-27 with 14 of its 15 standard roster spots filled, plus all three of its two-way openings. Speaking as someone who has already floated the idea of two-way guard Jaylin Sellers becoming a bona fide standard roster player, this is a fascinating move. Miami Heat center Orlando Robinson warms up prior to a game against the Chicago Bulls. Should Bulls Have Held Onto Orlando Robinson? Among the training camp players, Robinson was the hyper-athletic standout. Chicago actually heads into the regular season down three players at that position, so theoretically shifting Sellers to a standard spot and opening up a two-way deal for Robinson could make some sense. Alternately, bringing him aboard on a 10-day agreement (teams are permitted two such deals before they have to commit to a player) could be a fit. K.C. Johnson of CHSN reports that the Bulls intend to leave that 15th standard spot open for the time being. Instead, it appears that new Bulls EVP of basketball operations Bryson Graham will lean on reserve power forward/center Jalen Smith — plus young bench forwards Leonard Miller and Noa Essengue as small-ball centers — to help play added minutes as Nicolas Claxton, Zach Collins, and even Tobe Awaka recover from their various early maladies. Milwaukee Bucks forward Johni Broome looks for a shot against Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Bridges. What’s Next for the 2026 Training Camp Bulls? As for the training camp pieces, it’s possible some or all will wind up on the team’s G League affiliate in Hoffman Estates, the Windy City Bulls. Still just 26, Robinson at least does have a little upside — and he’s shown that he can log real NBA minutes during his tenures with the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and Sacramento Kings. He appeared in just four games with the Orlando Magic last year as a two-way player. In his three preseason appearances (albeit during mop-up minutes), Robinson averaged 6.3 points on .626/1.000/.667 shooting splits, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 11.5 minutes a night. It feels likely that Robinson could wind up on a two-way deal or a 10-day contract somewhere before too long. Jalen Bridges, still just 25, remains more of a mystery. He averaged a scant 2.3 points on a .300/.375/.500 slash line in his four appearances this preseason for Chicago. Brandon Boston’s shooting ability could give him a shot somewhere. At 27, Drew Peterson may be aging out of being an “upside” signing, and seems primed for an affiliate deal on an NBAGL club.

Finally, Kyler Gordon is set to join his Bears teammates on the playing field. What better time and place than a pivotal Week 6 showdown against the Atlanta Falcons? Well, I suppose that Gordon’s return would have been greatly appreciated last week when Green Bay Packers receivers ran wild against Chicago’s secondary. But there is no crying over spilled milk. What’s done is done. Looking ahead, I’m happy to have Gordon back in the mix. The Bears’ defensive backfield can use all the help it can get. Gordon has been practicing for the last three weeks, which has been nice. Even better, he has received a full participation designation on the injury report in each of the team’s last nine practices. After each of the last two Friday practices, Gordon was designated as questionable on the week’s final injury report. Now, Gordon is taking the final step toward a return. This is huge. Don’t get me wrong. I understand Bears fans who will roll their eyes at the latest Kyler Gordon news. Gordon’s injury issues are well documented. And the frustration that fans feel about a talented player whose availability issues have kept him out of action for most of the team’s games since the start of the 2025 season is relatable. After all, the general manager and head coach have expressed those feelings, too. But the past will be nothing more than water under the bridge if Gordon is back, healthy, and plays like we’ve seen in the past. Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon. © David Banks-USA TODAY Sports Kyler Gordon Is Off IR; Other Bears Moves Before Week 6 Activating Kyler Gordon from injured reserve is just one of the moves the Bears announced on Saturday. Here are the rest: To make room on the 53-man roster for Gordon’s return, the team placed defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo on injured reserve. Odeyingbo was playing well and appeared to be having a resurgent season, with 3 sacks, 3 tackles-for-loss, and 3 quarterback hits in five games. Unfortunately, a quad injury was serious enough to land him on IR. He will miss at least the next four games. Two players — running back Zavier Scott and linebacker Buddy Johnson — have been elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Falcons. Chicago is playing shorthanded at both positions, with running back Kyle Monangai missing his second straight game and linebacker Keyshaun Elliott remaining out with injury. CHICAGO BEARS WEEK 6 INJURY REPORT UPDATE Cornerback Nick McCloud has been signed to the active roster. McCloud played 15 games (and made four starts) last season and is in his second stint with the team. McCloud’s move to the active roster suggests that fellow cornerback Tyrique Stevenson might not be available for Sunday’s showdown in Atlanta. In a corresponding move that opens the door for McCloud’s move onto the 53-man roster, the Bears have released safety Xavier Woods. Chicago signed Woods after Coby Bryant suffered a training camp injury that was expected to knock him out for 4-6 months. This likely slides Cam Lewis into the starting safety spot with Kyler Gordon and/or rookie Malik Muhammad playing the slot cornerback role. CHECK OUT THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube