Chicago Bears
D.J. Williams - #58 - LB
| Status | Active |
| Height/Weight | 6' 1"/ 242 lbs. |
| Birthday | 07/20/1982 |
| Birthplace | Pittsburg, CA |
| College | Miami (FL) |
| Years played | 10 |
| Drafted | 2004, 1st round, 17th pick by Broncos |
Urlacher leaves Chicago to deal with family emergency
Bears LB Brian Urlacher reportedly left Chicago on Tuesday to deal with a family emergency in Arizona, and his status for Sunday is uncertain.
Bears rookie report: Week One
Six of the nine rookies on the Bears' roster played in Week One, and the lone starter in the group, ORT Gabe Carimi, struggled at times in his debut.
Bears-Saints matchup of the day: Tuesday
Chicago's offensive tackles — J'Marcus Webb and Gabe Carimi — will face a very different style of defense, one that could be blitzing more often than not, in Week Two.
60-second rant: Worth it for Bears to wait on Forté
RB Matt Forté played inspired football in Week One, even though the Bears have yet to to give him the raise he's looking for.
Week One Players of the Week
This week, PFW selects Aaron Rodgers, Brian Urlacher and Ted Ginn, Jr. as its Players of the Week.
Melton's start offers glimpse of what Bears' D-line could be
A potential breakthrough player this season, Bears DT Henry Melton started off impressively, recording two sacks and five additional QB hits Sunday.
Bears stock report: Week One
PFW associate editor Dan Parr offers his stock analysis of the Bears following their Week One win over the Falcons.
Bears players of the week: Week One
PFW associate editor Dan Parr selects an offensive, defensive and special-teams player of the game for the Bears, coming off their 30-12 win over the Falcons in Week One.
Cutler, Bears pound Falcons 30-12
Brian Urlacher had an interception and returned a fumble for a touchdown, Jay Cutler threw for 312 yards and two scores and the Bears pounded Matt Ryan and the Falcons 30-12 on Sunday.
Bears-Falcons prediction
In a game that will be tight throughout, PFW associate editor Dan Parr says the Falcons will top the Bears at Soldier Field.
Bears fantasy report: Week One
Here's a look at the Bears' top fantasy football options for Sunday's game against the Falcons.
Falcons-Bears matchup of the day: Friday
Falcons rookie Matt Bosher isn't going to have the luxury of easing into his debut as the Falcons' kickoff specialist and punter.
Falcons-Bears matchup of the day: Saturday
Power will meet speed when RB Michael Turner runs into the Bears' linebacker corps on Sunday.
Five Bears questions with PFW publisher Hub Arkush
In this week's Five Questions, PFW publisher and editor and Bears expect Hub Arkush says Lovie Smith's team is one of the hardest to figure out.
Falcons-Bears matchup of the day: Thursday
Look for the Bears to get creative to test the Falcons' young blockers on the interior offensive line.
PLAYER NEWS
A person familiar with the situation says the Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with Williams, giving them a possible replacement for Brian Urlacher.|||||||
The person spoke Friday on the condition of anonymity because the signing has not been announced. The deal comes two days after the Bears said they couldn't agree on a contract with Urlacher, the eight-time Pro Bowl selection and the face of the franchise. Williams has played both middle and outside linebacker. He missed 9 games while serving a pair of NFL-mandated suspensions last season and was released by the Broncos on the eve of free agency.
The Denver Broncos have released talented but Williams, who was suspended for nine games last season and lost his starting job to Wesley Woodyard.|||||||
The Broncos also released third quarterback Caleb Hanie, who didn't take a single snap in his one season in Denver last year behind Peyton Manning and his backup, rookie Brock Osweiler. Williams was a first-round draft pick in 2004 out of the University of Miami. He played all of the linebacker positions for the Broncos and was the team's leading tackler during most of his nine seasons in Denver.
Williams and pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil are active for the Denver Broncos' game against the San Diego Chargers.|||||||
Williams missed the first nine games of the season while serving two NFL-mandated suspensions that cost him about $4 million. He's expected to play in sub packages and maybe special teams.
Williams is on track to make his 2012 debut Sunday against San Diego after the Denver Broncos put him on their 53-man roster Saturday.|||||||
Williams returned to practice this week after serving two NFL-mandated suspensions that cost him nine games and about $4 million. On Friday, coach John Fox said Williams had looked good in practice all week "and he's a guy we would definitely consider to be active for the game. " If he plays Sunday, he'll likely play in sub packages and on special teams.
The Denver Broncos have waived safety Duke Ihenacho, opening a roster spot that could be filled by linebacker D.J. Williams. The Broncos (6-3) can evaluate Williams over the next few days before activating him to the 53-man roster.|||||||
Williams was reinstated Monday after sitting out the first nine games of the season while serving two separate NFL suspensions. He'll practice Wednesday for the first time since training camp, where he was relegated to individual drills and backup duty while the Broncos prepared his replacements for the regular season.
