Tyson Bagent is expected to start at quarterback for the Chicago Bears against the New York Jets, with Case Keenum set to return to the backup role despite leading the club to a Week 3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
ESPN reported that Bagent took the majority of first-team practice repetitions during the week, citing NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. CBS Sports also reported that Chicago had chosen Bagent for the home game. If the reported plan is confirmed, Chicago would return to the quarterback identified as their number two at the end of training camp, while Caleb Williams remains unavailable.
Williams has been ruled out for a second consecutive game as he recovers from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. ESPN reported that Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter had put the expected recovery period at three to four weeks. That absence has presented head coach Ben Johnson with a choice between Bagent and Keenum at a significant early point in Chicago’s season.
Bagent returns after concussion disruption
Bagent did not start against Philadelphia because he had only recently cleared concussion protocol. ESPN reported that he suffered a concussion late in the fourth quarter of Chicago’s 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a game in which Williams had already left through injury.
According to ESPN, Bagent was not cleared until the Sunday before the Eagles game and practised only once before that fixture. Keenum therefore stepped in and threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns as Chicago won 27-7.
That performance created a genuine selection issue rather than simply an emergency replacement. Johnson said earlier in the week that the staff would discuss its next move, but he also stressed that Bagent had finished training camp as the Bears’ second-choice quarterback for a reason, according to CBS Sports.
Johnson subsequently acknowledged that the coaching staff had considered the possibility of retaining the player with the stronger immediate momentum. ESPN reported that he described the discussion among coaches as divided, while saying both Bagent and Keenum were prepared to play and win. The reported move would suggest Chicago are leaning on Bagent’s established place on the depth chart despite Keenum’s Week 3 performance.
Keenum’s win does not alter the expected order
Keenum’s outing against Philadelphia had given Chicago their second win of the season and made a change back to Bagent less automatic. Yet the available reports say Keenum will be Bagent’s reserve against the Jets, restoring the arrangement that had been interrupted by Bagent’s concussion.
Bagent’s last start came in 2023, when he helped Chicago beat the Carolina Panthers 16-13. ESPN reported that Sunday will arrive 1,059 days after that appearance. He made four starts during his rookie campaign while Justin Fields was dealing with a thumb injury, and the Bears went 2-2 during that stretch.
Chicago would become the third team ever to start three different quarterbacks through the first four weeks of a season, according to CBS Sports Research. Williams’ hamstring absence and Bagent’s concussion clearance led Keenum to start against Philadelphia.
For Bagent, the opportunity is therefore more than a routine return from injury protocol. He takes over after Chicago’s 27-7 win over Philadelphia while Williams remains ruled out with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Keenum’s performance against the Eagles gives Chicago another option at quarterback, while Johnson said both players were prepared to play and win.
The Jets game could give Chicago another data point as it manages the quarterback situation while Williams is sidelined. Williams has been ruled out for a second straight game, while ESPN reported Keenum will back up Bagent against the Jets.