Bears’ 2nd Depth Chart Reveals Eyebrow-Raising Status of QB Battle

There is no mystery as to who will start at QB for the Chicago Bears in Week 1, but the battle behind Caleb Williams layered in another level of intrigue Monday.

Chicago released its second unofficial depth chart of the preseason on August 5 with minimal changes of note. However, the lack of a change at QB2 is perhaps more noteworthy than any alteration the Bears might have actually made.

The team listed both Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien as the backup quarterback, indicating the battle for the job continues. That was also how Chicago arranged its first unofficial depth chart ahead of the annual Hall of Fame Game on August 1, in which the Bears played the Houston Texans to kick off the NFL preseason.

That a grapple over the No. 2 job in Chicago will continue beyond the first of four preseason contests isn’t surprising in a vacuum. What makes this situation different are the various dynamics at play between Rypien and Bagent.

Bagent won the right to backup Justin Fields during last preseason as an undrafted free agent, which ultimately led to five appearances and four starts. Bagent proved a reasonable stand-in and led the team to a 2-2 record.

Thus, it was somewhat surprising to see Rypien take most snaps of consequence in the game after Bagent got the start, as Rypien has no history in Chicago and has been a journeyman backup over his four NFL seasons.

But after going 11-of-15 for 166 yards and 3 scores in a nationally televised victory, it’s now a bit eyebrow-raising to see that Rypien’s performance has apparently not separated him at all from Bagent on the depth chart.

“So Rypien’s big HOF game Thursday made no impact on his standing,” Sam Householder of SB Nation wrote on August 5.

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Brett Rypien Has Built Solid NFL Career as Backup QB After Going Undrafted in 2019

Rypien went undrafted in 2019 out of Boise State University, ultimately linking up with the Denver Broncos. He played three years on that roster, appearing in eight total regular-season games and earning three starts.

He then joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, playing in two games and earning one start there. Rypien also had brief stints as a backup with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets last season, though he never took a snap for either franchise.

All told, Rypien is 2-2 as an NFL starter and has thrown for 950 yards, 4 TDs and 9 INTs with a completion percentage of 58.3%. He signed a one-year contract worth $1.125 million to join the Bears in March.

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Tyson Bagent Has 3 More Preseason Chances to Out-Duel Brett Rypien for Bears Backup QB Job

While the Bears haven’t been definitive on the depth chart, it is reasonable to assume that Rypien now has the lead for the QB2 spot behind Williams after taking the offensive reins from Bagent ahead of Chicago’s second drive against the Texans and never handing them back. However, Bagent is going to get more chances to pull even.

Bagent completed 2-of-3 pass attempts against the Texans on Thursday for a total of 16 yards. Undrafted free agent quarterback Austin Reed went 2-for-2 for 10 yards.

The Bears face the Buffalo Bills on August 10, the Cincinnati Bengals on August 17 and the Kansas City Chiefs on August 22 to round out the preseason.

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