The Chicago Bears have had an established hierarchy at quarterback since the beginning of 2024. Caleb Williams was the starter, and Tyson Bagent was the backup. That changed slightly in 2025 when Case Keenum was added as the third guy on the depth chart. It remained this way coming into 2026. So when Williams went down with a hamstring injury, everyone expected Bagent to step in. Then he suffered a concussion. Just like that, the Bears were down to Keenum for Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles.

To the shock of many, the 38-year-old turned back the clock, throwing for 247 yards, 2 touchdowns, and rushing for another in a 27-7 rout. It was a magical night for one of the best backups in NFL history. However, the euphoria of the victory has given way to a sudden, unexpected problem. Who do the Bears start this week against the New York Jets? Tyson Bagent cleared the concussion protocol last weekend, so he should practice without restrictions. When asked about the dilemma after the game, Johnson kept his answer short.

“We’ll have a discussion as a coaching staff and we’ll see where we need to go from here. But I said it last week, and I’ll say it again, there was a reason why Tyson ended training camp as our No. 2 quarterback.”

Case Keenum or Tyson Bagent is far from that simple.

Yes, Bagent is the #2 quarterback. He earned that spot and played pretty well against Minnesota despite having a concussion that went undiagnosed until after the game. He’s been preparing for this opportunity for years. Johnson and the coaches wouldn’t have put him in that spot if they didn’t think he could handle it. Unfortunately, this decision isn’t about what Bagent does or does not deserve. They must do what is best for the team. Many believe the Bears have to ride the hot hand that just led them to a big victory.

A scout from another team said as much to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

“Absolutely not,” said a pro scout for another team late Monday when asked if he thinks the Bears will roll Bagent out against the Jets. “Maybe the quarterback coach, maybe the GM (Ryan Poles) because he paid (Bagent) would want that. I don’t know. Ben has to stand up and say, ‘Anyone wanna go watch the tape with me?’ That’s how his offense is supposed to be run. There’s no chance they’re taking him out. Case Keenum kind of carved up the Eagles.”

It’s a fair assessment. Keenum has far more actual experience than Tyson Bagent. He’s started 66 games in his career, including twice in the playoffs. His understanding of Johnson’s offense was evident from the opening drive on Monday night. Why mess with something if it’s clearly working? There is nothing difficult about this decision. Keep Keenum in the lineup and let him play until he proves he no longer deserves it.

Matchup factors could play a part as well.

The Jets come to Soldier Field on Sunday. They present a different challenge than the Eagles. Their defense plays lots of man coverage. In situations like that, having a more mobile quarterback can be highly valuable. You saw it last year. The New York Giants ranked 4th in man coverage. Williams torched them for 63 yards on the ground, including the go-ahead touchdown. As good as Keenum can be as a passer, he is not a runner. Bagent is considerably more mobile, which could be a major benefit against those fast Jets rushers.

Either way, it is a safe bet that Johnson won’t let anyone know the decision until absolutely necessary. He sees no reason to give the Jets any information on who they should be preparing for. How far will he be willing to go with this deception? It stands to reason that whoever gets the practice reps with the starting offense will be the guy on Sunday. Would Johnson dare split those reps to keep people guessing? Unlikely.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has established himself as one of the best play callers in the NFL. Right up there with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles may have been one of his masterclasses. Just look at the situation. He is down to his third-string quarterback, Case Keenum. The Eagles are undefeated and have one of the most talented defenses in the NFL. Everybody, understandably, is picking them to win. Instead, Johnson has Keenum account for 3 touchdowns in a 27-7 blowout.

Part of that was having the quarterback well-prepared. However, Johnson’s true calling card has always been crafting some of the most bizarre play calls that most NFL coaches would never even think of. The Bears’ coach was in rare form in this game. There were multiple instances in which he threw things at the Eagles that no defense had ever prepared for. Easily the most widely discussed was when the Bears suddenly shifted right guard Jonah Jackson and right tackle Darnell Wright to the left side of the offensive line on a 3rd-and-1 play.

Moving receivers and tight ends around is one thing, but offensive linemen? That doesn’t happen unless there are injuries. It worked. The Bears got 6 yards to convert a crucial 3rd and 1.

Ben Johnson was doing this stuff all game long.

Leading 7-0 midway through the 2nd quarter, the Bears needed to create some cushion after a huge end zone interception by Dillon Thieneman. Johnson decided to try something truly diabolical. He had a relatively standard formation with tight end Cole Kmet in line to the right of Wright. Wide receiver Kalif Raymond is just outside of him. Fellow receiver Luther Burden then goes in motion, ending up to Raymond’s right. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. It looks like the Bears are preparing to run, which is why the Eagles are dropping guys into the box.

Here’s where it gets wild. Right before the snap, Burden starts moving back to the left. Then the snap happens, and Raymond also goes that way, and both receivers go right through the C-gap between Kmet and Wright. This creates all sorts of confusion for the Eagles’ linebackers. As a result, Burden gets behind them almost immediately, allowing Keenum to hit him for 25 yards. This play kick-started a drive that would end with a field goal to make it 10-0

Naturally, he couldn’t end it without a trolling kill shot.

Philadelphia has long been known for the Tush Push. It is a play that’s been so successful over the past few years, and some teams even tried to get it banned. As the Bears drove down to the goal line ahead 20-7, Ben Johnson needed a way to deliver the killing blow. What better way than with a QB sneak? Except this wouldn’t be a Tush Push. Oh no, he had something much better. Both guards would pull to the outside. This would cause the defensive tackles to hesitate while the quarterback follows the center right into the end zone.

It’s called the “sucker sneak,” a creation of former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

All of this illustrates how Johnson’s brain works differently. One of the things that is so different about him is that he somehow manages to marry cutting-edge ideas with old-school thinking. A perfect marriage of past, present, and future. Most coaches don’t think that way. They have a set of ideas they have seen work and usually stick with that, occasionally sprinkling in some wrinkles to keep it fresh. Johnson is a true mad scientist.

The Chicago Bears brought Case Keenum aboard in 2025 for multiple reasons. By far the biggest was to become a valued sounding board for Caleb Williams. Head coach Ben Johnson felt they needed a veteran presence who could help the young quarterback learn how to process the vast amounts of information they had to absorb. In addition, he would serve as an extra coach on the sideline, providing tips and motivation wherever possible. The fact that he’s also a backup was further down the list of importance.

Well, the NFL has a funny sense of humor. A hamstring injury to Williams and a concussion to Tyson Bagent suddenly thrust Keenum into the starting lineup for the first time since 2023. Most didn’t expect much from the 38-year-old, including the opposing Philadelphia Eagles. So you can imagine their surprise when he threw for 247 yards and scored 3 touchdowns, leading Chicago to a 27-7 rout.

Yet after the game, Keenum still had the back of his teammate by calling out Pro Football Focus at his postgame press conference. The analytics site got into hot water for giving Williams a low grade for his week-one performance in Carolina, despite his producing 4 touchdowns. It seems Keenum didn’t forget that, and made sure they didn’t either.

It’s easy to see why everybody loves Case Keenum.

Few more than Williams. The Bears’ young quarterback was caught on camera after the game embracing Keenum on the field, screaming with joy over the big win. The two have forged a close bond since last season. The veteran fulfilled his responsibility with the utmost enthusiasm, always in Williams’ ear with advice or support. Nobody gave him more positive pep talks about late-game heroics. This is probably why everyone can see that Keenum has a clear future in coaching. His personality is made for it.

He also seems to understand his role. What happened on Monday night was pure magic. Yet Case Keenum isn’t naive enough to believe it will lead to anything. His job was to keep this Bears train on the tracks long enough for Williams to return. He did his job beautifully. That is why he savored the night, knowing it might be the last time he ever got a chance to start. Maybe the Bears will go back to Tyson Bagent this week, or maybe Williams returns sooner than expected. Either way, Keenum never stopped supporting his guy.

There are few doubts left about one thing.

The Bears have the best quarterback room in the NFL. Not only do they have a really good starter who is on the cusp of becoming a star, but their depth is outstanding. When your third-string quarterback makes a playoff team look irrelevant on national television, you’re doing pretty well at the position. This is where Johnson deserves credit. Most teams don’t bother investing much money in the backups. He saw value in stacking the position. That decision has proven fortuitous.

Keenum’s job may not be done. The Bears could decide to ride the hot hand, giving him another start against the New York Jets this Sunday. No one would blame Johnson for doing so. If not, the quarterback will go right back to helping Bagent and Williams prepare. He’s good in either role. Don’t be shocked if the team moves quickly to make him an assistant coach whenever he decides to hang up the pads.

The Chicago Bears took some flak three years ago when they used the 10th overall pick to draft Tennessee right tackle Darnell Wright. Experts had reservations about his versatility, worrying he’d only be useful as a pass blocker. The Bears didn’t let that stop them. General manager Ryan Poles saw a big, powerful, and athletic young man with an outstanding work ethic. This was the type of player you built a foundation with. People had no idea how right that statement would prove to be.

Wright achieved second-team All-Pro honors last season. He was only the 4th in franchise history to accomplish that and the first since James “Big Cat” Williams in 2001. It is why the Bears had no qualms about handing him a massive contract extension worth $29 million a year. He’d more than earned. The only thing left to wonder was whether that new money would change his dedication to the game as it has for other players.

It has.

Somehow, it seems to have made him work even harder. Three games into the 2026 season, Wright might be putting together one of the best campaigns a Bears offensive lineman has ever had.

Darnell Wright is putting up some gaudy numbers.

Yes, offensive linemen don’t have traditional stats, but the ones they do tell a pretty clear story. Through the first 3 games of the season, Wright has faced a 1-on-1 block against an opposing pass rusher 53 times. He has not allowed a sack, hit, or pressure on the quarterback in those situations yet. It has been a complete shutout. Only two other tackles have managed the same, and Joe Alt (37) and Amarius Mims (46) were left 1-on-1 in far fewer situations. That should tell you how much trust the Bears have in him.

It doesn’t stop there. The craziest part of this entire situation is that pass blocking isn’t even the best thing Darnell Wright does. So far this season, he is currently the highest-rated run-blocker in the NFL, regardless of position. The Bears have run the ball behind or around him 15 times this season. They’ve compiled 154 yards and 4 touchdowns doing so. He is so good that head coach Ben Johnson moved him briefly to the left side against Philadelphia to mix things up. Stuff like that doesn’t happen.

Something special is unfolding.

Bears fans haven’t witnessed offensive line play of this caliber in a long time, especially at the tackle position. Wright isn’t just a really good player anymore. He has become a star. So much of the team’s offensive game plan is designed around him. Coaches only do that when they know they have a stud at the position. Kyle Shanahan does the same thing with Trent Williams in San Francisco. Dan Campbell does it with Penei Sewell in Detroit. It is no surprise that Ben Johnson is doing the same.

There is no telling where things go from here. If Wright stays healthy, he is on pace to have probably one of the best seasons in franchise history. If Ozzy Trapilo returns at left tackle and regains his form from late last season, this offensive line could become an even bigger force than it already is. Fans should pay close attention to what Wright is doing. This is the culmination of everything the team hoped for when they drafted him in 2023.

The Chicago Bears‘ pass rush was tough to watch at times last season. While Montez Sweat did have 10 sacks, he was pretty much the lone bright spot. Grady Jarrett disappointed. Austin Booker missed half the season with a knee injury. Dayo Odeyingbo tore his Achilles and wasn’t that good even before it happened. The team finished with just 30 sacks in 2025. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen clearly lacked that definitive difference-making rush presence. It is why fans were so baffled that the Bears didn’t make a more concerted effort to find one in the offseason.

Apparently, it’s because they didn’t have to. Almost out of nowhere, the Bears have 7 sacks and 52 total pressures through the first 3 games of the season. How is that possible? The personnel didn’t change much. It’s still almost the exact same lineup. The only notable difference is that Gervon Dexter is no longer there. It turns out the answer is one that Allen had been working towards since last season.

The original plan was simple: have Sweat and Booker on the edges, with Odeyingbo moving inside on passing plays. Chicago never used it last season because of injuries. Allen finally got to deploy it to start 2026. It has produced 4 sacks in 3 games.

Dennis Allen apparently knew what he was doing.

The Bears’ defensive coordinator took a lot of grief last season for failing to find a solution to the problem. It’s easy to say in the moment. In reality, Allen was dealt a tough hand. Two of the three critical pieces to his plan suffered massive injury setbacks. Unless you have an All-World star like a Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby, it is very difficult to generate a consistent pass rush unless you have a solid rotation of good players. The 2025 Bears never did. Sweat stayed healthy, but the other pieces didn’t.

Dennis Allen truly believed that if he could get those three guys on the field together at the same time, it would yield the desired results. He was willing to wager on it by shifting valuable team resources to other key positions, such as safety and cornerback. That decision may have helped transform one of the NFL’s worst units into one of the best. Sweat, Booker, and Odeyingbo have combined for 5 sacks and 25 pressures. Meanwhile, rookies Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad each have an interception.

This defense isn’t great, but it doesn’t need to be.

The goal was never to reach elite status this season. Chicago knew they didn’t have the resources to make it happen. What they had to do was turn into something solid. Anywhere between 12th and 17th in ranking would be a major step up. This offense is so good at piling up points that allowing around 20-23 points per game stood a great chance of getting you a victory. Through three games, this defense is allowing 17.66 points per game. They are 2-1 and right in the thick of the NFC North race.

This entire situation should remind you that Allen is not ignorant. Football can’t just be about the talent you have. You need a good plan on how to use that talent. He understood almost immediately that the Bears lacked a true star up front. His job was to find a solution that could make the pass rush effective anyway. He had one in mind from the start. Injuries just got in the way.

All he asked of people going into this year was that they trust the plan. He might be owed an apology after what has happened over the first three weeks.