Bears Start Bagent vs. Jets as Williams Sits Out Again — SkimNews
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- Tyson Bagent is expected to start at quarterback for the Bears against the Jets, with Case Keenum serving as backup, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport; Bagent took the majority of first-team reps in practice this week.
- Caleb Williams has been ruled out for a second consecutive game with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, with a recovery timeline of three to four weeks reported by Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter.
- Bagent's last start came 1,059 days prior — a 16-13 win over the Carolina Panthers in 2023 — and he went 2-2 across four starts as a rookie that year while Justin Fields dealt with a thumb injury.
- Bagent suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter of a 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20 after Williams exited injured, did not clear protocol until last Sunday, and practiced only once before the Week 3 Eagles game.
- Coach Ben Johnson declined to publicly name the starter, saying the staff is "split" on the hot-hand question and that Bagent was named backup at the end of training camp "for a reason."
Why it matters: Bagent hasn't started a game in nearly three years and is being thrown back in against a Jets defense, while Williams' three-to-four-week recovery window means the Bears' season hinges on a backup most of the league has forgotten. With the coaching staff openly divided on whether to rotate to Keenum, Chicago's Week 4 and beyond could turn into an unplanned open competition for a team that just earned its second win.
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