The Chicago Bears are expected to start Tyson Bagent at quarterback against the New York Jets in Week 4, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Coach Ben Johnson did not publicly announce the starter replacing Caleb Williams, but sources indicated Bagent took the majority of first-team reps during practice this week. Case Keenum will serve as Bagent's backup.
Williams was ruled out for a second consecutive game while recovering from 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 in 2023 in a 16-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, marking 1,059 days since that appearance. He previously started four games during his rookie season when former Bears quarterback Justin Fields dealt with a thumb injury, going 2-2 during that stretch.
Bagent sustained a concussion late in the fourth quarter of a 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20 after Williams left the game with injury. He did not clear concussion protocol until last Sunday and practiced only once leading into the Philadelphia Eagles game, which is why he did not start in Week 3. Johnson noted that Bagent was named the backup quarterback at the end of training camp "for a reason" and acknowledged the coaching staff remains split on the quarterback evaluation moving forward.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing