Tyson Bagent got the start on Sunday against the New York Jets. It was a controversial decision to many. People thought veteran Case Keenum should’ve gotten the nod after his excellent performance against Philadelphia six days earlier. Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson disagreed. Bagent had put in the work and performed well enough to earn the #2 spot. He deserved the chance to show why. All in all, it worked out. He completed 73.5% of his passes with the only blemish being an interception in the 2nd quarter.
Bagent guided the offense to almost 500 total yards and a whopping 42 minutes in time of possession. If not for some questionable reviews by the officials, he would’ve put up 30 points. Instead, he settled for a 23-12 victory. One would think Soldier Field serenading the West Virginia native with “Take Me Home, Country Road” was the best part, but that would be false. No, that came long before the game even started. Once the Bears coaches told Keenum that Bagent would start, the 38-year-old insisted he be the one to relay the news.
“My body work person was at my house,” Bagent said. “And Case kind of hit me like, ‘Hey man, what time are you getting in here today?’ I said, ‘I’m going to get in there at around 11. Would you like me to get there sooner?’ He said, ‘Yes, I would like you to get there sooner.’
“… His delivery, he was just telling me that he really hopes and prays that I’m able to have a night kind of like he did on Monday and that I will and that week is going to be this week because you’re starting. So, he kind of hit me with that at the end and I just gave him a big hug. I told him how much he meant to me, and then just business is business going forward.”
Tyson Bagent is part of a pretty special QB room.
What the Bears have put together is nothing short of miraculous. Not only is the room deep in pure talent, but it’s also incredibly unified. You have Keenum giving Caleb Williams constant pep talks during games last season. You have Williams celebrating Keenum’s big victory on Monday night. Now you have Keenum eager to relay to Bagent the news that he finally gets to start after years of waiting. You have to understand how rare this is. Most QB rooms aren’t anywhere close to this. They might be as talented or as unified, but never both.
It is a testament to the work done by Coach Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles. Not only did they do excellent scouting on the talent front, but they also clearly identified the right personalities. Competitive but unselfish. This is how you cultivate a healthy position room. Now the Bears are 3-1 with three different guys getting a victory. Tyson Bagent may have a chance to add to that tally next week against the Green Bay Packers. It would be the first time he’s ever played actual snaps against them.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
Williams watch should begin this week.
Everyone knew the Bears’ starter wouldn’t play on Sunday. His window was 3-4 weeks with that hamstring injury. That meant the absolute earliest he might try to return was Green Bay this week. He has never missed a game against the Packers. Everybody knows how much he loves playing them. If there was a game Williams had circled for a return, that would be the one. However, it isn’t his decision. The Bears have zero intention of bringing him back until they’re certain he is 100% healthy.
Besides, they’ve already proven they can win without him. Bagent was efficient and effective against a pretty good Jets defense. He’d be facing a Packers unit that still won’t have Micah Parsons and just lost stud linebacker Edgerrin Cooper to an Achilles injury. This is a winnable game even without Williams. Bagent has the trust of the entire offense, and he’ll have Keenum right there supporting him.
