The Green Bay Packers are dealing with a large assortment of injuries ahead of their rematch with the Chicago Bears on Saturday night. Most of it centers on Micah Parsons. His torn ACL ends his season and badly depletes the Packers' pass rush. It doesn't end there. Star tackle Zach Tom is also unlikely to play with a knee injury, leaving their pass protection weaker. Last but not least, running back Josh Jacobs is questionable with a knee issue as well. Green Bay beat writer Rob Demovsky told ESPN 1000 that there is a good chance he won't play as well.
However, there was one other name mentioned in that group. Someone Bears fans may not be too familiar with.
Evan Williams is Green Bay's starting safety. He was a 4th round pick for them in 2024 and has become a quality starter with three interceptions this season. Yet it's not his pass coverage that has Packers experts worried about him missing the game on Saturday. His greatest value as a defender is his tackling ability, particularly in the open field. Williams has been the Packers' secret weapon at helping limit opposing teams from big running plays all year.
The Chicago Bears already proved they could run against Green Bay at full strength.
They had 138 yards in the first matchup at Lambeau Field two weeks ago. D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai neither had runs longer than nine yards in that game, though. Williams was a big reason for that. He made several tackles to help limit the damage. With him out, the Packers must look to Zayne Anderson as a replacement. He has limited playing experience since arriving in the league in 2021, having spent most of that time as a backup. He did play 122 snaps last year, but only had one run stop. Williams has 16 this season.
Green Bay tends to make things work anyway. They're still a well-coached team. Don't expect them to come out flat in this game. Too much is at stake. Even so, the Chicago Bears know the situation. Ben Johnson is a smart enough coach to have a game plan tailored to attacking areas of the field Williams would've usually patrolled. If they can get D'Andre Swift or Kyle Monangai into space, the Packers could be in trouble. Just two long runs can change the entire complexion of the game.
