With Caleb Williams out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring strain, the Chicago Bears originally turned to backup quarterback Tyson Bagent to replace him. However, Bagent suffered a concussion in the same game that Williams was hurt in, causing the Bears to put their third-string quarterback Case Keenum in for Week 3. Hopes weren't high for the 38-year-old Keenum, but he defied the odds by beating the Philadelphia Eagles 27–7 thanks to an impressive offensive outing on "Monday Night Football." It may seem like an easy answer for Chicago to stick with Keenum for now, but Bagent cleared concussion protocol this week and is available to start on Sunday versus the New York Jets.
The question now for coach Ben Johnson is who will he start at quarterback? Former Bears Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long shared his opinion on Friday when speaking on "Up & Adams." He believes "Case Keenum did his job," but "Tyson Bagent earned the backup spot." He further explained why he thinks the Bears should start Bagent on Sunday. "You don't lose your job to injury.
That's not that something that happens in the National Football League," Long told Kay Adams. "If you get injured, somebody comes in in your sted. There were times when I was injured and somebody came in and they did a dang good job, but I'll tell you what: They weren't me when I was healthy.
And, I think Tyson Bagent probably feels the same way." Sure, Keenum definitely proved himself capable of remaining on the roster, and being a strong backup in case Bagent gets hurt again, but Bagent is the quarterback the Bears chose to count on in the traditional backup position—so much so that Chicago signed him to a two-year, $10 million extension this past offseason. Bagent's shown that he can be a solid replacement for Williams, and the Bears need to give him that fair shot. "You have to think it sends the wrong message to a young man who just signed a couple year deal with the Bears to be the backup, and it was a good deal," Long said.
He is a dang good football player, and he is revered and loved by everybody who has watched the Bears." Luckily for Long, coach Johnson did have Bagent do first-team reps this week, even though he still hasn't officially named a starter for the Week 4 contest. This is Bagent's fourth season as the Bears' backup. Through 13 games he's appeared in, Bagent's thrown for 971 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions.
This is the time for him to truly show what he's capable of.
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