Chicago Bears running back Damien Williams missed Thursday's practice due to being in COVID-19 protocol.

Williams is unvaccinated and cannot be cleared until Saturday at the earliest. Fantasy managers who were relying on Williams for Week 7 should prepare a contingency option. Even if active, Williams will be in a timeshare with Khalil Herbert against one of the top run defenses in the league. Look elsewhere if possible.

Bears RB Damien Williams remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to Adam Jahns of The Athletic.

Related Player: Khalil Herbert

Williams would need to have two consecutive negative tests and zero symptoms ahead of Sunday to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Chicago Bears running back Damien Williams has been placed on the reserve/COVID list.

Williams was slated to be the lead back for the Bears with David Montgomery sidelined but is now in serious danger of missing Week 6. If vaccinated, there is still a chance that he is cleared by Sunday morning (he will have to return two negative tests to do so), but the odds are stacked against him. Rookie running Khalil Herbert, who had 18 carries for 75 rushing yards in Week 5, will now operate as the starter and should be treated as an RB2 option.

RB split: Khalil Herbert 34 snaps, Damien Williams 31 snaps.

Related players: David Montgomery

It's perhaps a bit surprising because most perhaps expected Williams to control this backfield. But it looks like the team has plans for Herbert. Herbert carried 18 times for 75 yards while Williams ran 16 times for 64, and also added the TD. With Justin Fields at QB, the Bears seem like they'd love to take some pressure off the rookie and run the ball. Herbert should be grabbed off the wires for his upside.

Per source, tests showed Bears RB David Montgomery has a knee sprain that’s expected to keep him out 4-5 weeks.

Related players: Damien Williams, Khalil Herbert

The good news is, it's not a season-ending injury for Montgomery. The math says he could be back for a Week 9 game vs. Pittsburgh, but something to keep in mind is the team has a bye in Week 10, so perhaps a Week 11 return against Baltimore makes a lot more sense. That could also depend on how the Bears do record-wise in the coming weeks. Williams looks like he'll take over as the team's lead back, and of course has experience in that role most recently with the Chiefs. Herbert could also see some snaps and touches and is probably worth owning in deeper leagues or as a handcuff to Williams if there is room on your roster.

Bears don’t believe RB David Montgomery tore his ACL.

Related players: Damien Williams, Tarik Cohen, Khalil Herbert

Certainly good news, at least for now, but the team is doing further testing Monday to determine the extent of the injury, per Schefter's source. Williams looks like he would log the most work assuming Monty misses some time and is a must pick-up this week if he's on your wire. With Cohen out, Herbert would be next up.

Bears RB Tarik Cohen transferred to reserve/PUP list meaning he will miss at least the first 6 games of the season.

Related players: David Montgomery, Damien Williams

Back in early August we reported there was no exact time frame for Cohen's return, but HC Matt Nagy suggested it would more like weeks vs. days. Turns out it will be several more weeks. Montgomery and Williams should handle a bulk of the work with Cohen out.

Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times has pinpointed RB Damien Williams as the under-the-radar player that has been the most impressive after one week of training camp. "After a year off, he doesn’t seem to have lost a step," writes Finley. "With Cohen still out, Williams has seized his opportunity to be a mismatch nightmare in the pass game."

The Bears are still without RB Tarik Cohen as he recovers from ACL surgery, so the addition of Williams has kept the Bears running back room with an experienced back-up, especially in the passing game. Williams has experience in the Matt Nagy offense with it being similar to the offense Andy Reid runs in Kansas City. As long as Williams remains healthy, he has late-round value in PPR formats and has major upside if David Montgomery were to get hurt.

No exact time frame as to when RB Tarik Cohen will return, but Matt Nagy suggested more like “weeks away” as opposed to “days away” (from returning).

Related players: David Montgomery, Damien Williams

Also, there's no guarantee he’d be thrown right back into punt returning when he does get back, the tweet went on to say. The Bears will role with Montgomery and Williams, and Williams is certainly capable of at least taking over the third down and pass catching role Cohen usually occupies.

The #Bears have agreed to terms on a 1-year deal with former Super Bowl hero RB Damien Williams, source said. Lots of familiarity, as he knows Matt Nagy’s offense from KC, and he was OC Bill Lazor with the #Dolphins.

Williams' arrival along with the return of Tarik Cohen spells trouble for David Montgomery, who saw his usage spike with Cohen out and no other viable options on the roster. He saw 16.7 touches per game as a rookie versus 20.1 last season. The increase was driven by more usage as a receiver (1.6 receptions per game in 2019 versus 3.6 in 2020). Cohen and/or Williams are likely to steal that passing game work.