The Chicago Bears aren’t unfamiliar with quarterback controversies. They’ve had their fair share over the past several decades. Erik Kramer vs. Steve Walsh. Jim Miller vs. Shane Matthews. Rex Grossman vs. Brian Griese. Jay Cutler vs. Josh McCown. Mitch Trubisky vs. Nick Foles. However, the one they currently face going into week 4 is unique. It’s a battle between two backups. Do they ride the hot hand with Case Keenum, who just beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, or do they go with original #2, Tyson Bagent? ESPN insider Adam Schefter has a pretty good idea.
He spoke about the situation on his recent podcast. Based on all the signs he’s seen and gathered, he believes the Bears will go with Bagent on Sunday. The reasons for this? For one, the Bears have a very high opinion of the young quarterback, and that hasn’t changed. This is reinforced by their making him the #2 guy this year and paying him accordingly. Lastly, can you really count on Keenum putting together another performance like the one he just had at 38 years old? Not to mention, Bagent is hungrier for an opportunity.
Adam Schefter probably has an inkling.
He hasn’t been the top insider this long without having solid connections. While he can’t fully predict what Bears head coach Ben Johnson will do, he has a reputation for sticking to the plan whenever possible. The plan was always for Bagent to be the #2 guy. A solid performance from Keenum was great to see, but not enough to suddenly shake the confidence this team has in him. It would invalidate everything the team has said about him over the past year. If they truly believe he would be a starter on one of the other teams in the league, then this isn’t even a tough decision. Bagent is the guy.
Johnson already declared Caleb Williams out for the game, which is no surprise. His odds of returning don’t become real until next week against Green Bay. It was always Keenum or Bagent. On that front, Johnson refused to budge. When asked during his final presser on Friday, he said everyone would find out on Sunday. He has no intention of giving the Jets any clue about what the plan is. Adam Schefter is as close as anybody is likely to get before we see who’s warming up with the starting offense.
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Is it the right decision?
Ultimately, nobody knows. If they say they do, they’re lying. There have been circumstances where staying with the hot hand worked out great, and others where it didn’t. This is a situation where you must trust the head coach to make the right call. If Johnson believes Bagent is the guy, who are we to question him? It’s his offense and his team. He also knows Aaron Glenn better than anybody. If he thinks Bagent offers the Bears a better chance against that defense, so be it.
There is no reason to be deterred by such a decision. Bagent looked pretty solid coming in against Minnesota in week 2. His command of the offense is pretty easy to see. Imagine how he would look with a full week of preparation and not playing in a rainstorm. That is something people must factor into this equation as well. Either way, we’ll have an answer to everything in 48 hours.
