The Chicago Bears are looking to bounce back from a lackluster Week 5 performance against the Green Bay Packers. To do that, they will (likely) turn to their star QB, Caleb Williams. However, Tyson Bagent is likely to play as backup, who will be called upon to step in and start if Williams is inactive for Week 6 vs. the Atlanta Falcons.
Despite Case Keenum’s performances, the Ben Johnson and the Bears keep turning to Bagent. Now, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic has peeled back the curtain on what could be going through the coaching staff’s minds when it comes to justifying a Bagent start over Keenum.
Why Tyson Bagent Is Bears QB2
In his recent mailbag piece, Fishbain laid out the thought process very clearly.
“Bagent doesn’t turn it over in camp or the preseason. He reads the defense well. He gets the ball out quickly. Inside the building, he’s everything the Bears want from a work ethic, preparation and knowledge standpoint. But the Bears have to figure out why, in regular-season games, something isn’t going well,” Fishbain wrote. “Is it a talent issue that they overrated, or something else? Watching the game live, I found Bagent to be uncharacteristically jumpy in the pocket and just not sure of himself.”
Fishbain then expands on what exactly went wrong during Week 5’s loss to the Packers.
“Bagent plays a critical role in the team’s inability to get into a rhythm, but the Bears weren’t running the ball well on first and second down, either,” Fishbain explained. “The defense put them in a hole. Everything went wrong. I’d be interested to see how Bagent responds, and I won’t write him off as a solid No. 2.”
The Latest on Caleb Williams
According to Johnson, Williams is on track to play in Week 6.
“#Bears head coach Ben Johnson said he’s hoping to have more clarity about whether Caleb Williams will play Sunday by the end of Friday. “He’s on track,” Johnson said via Bears Insider, Michal Dwojak.
For two straight practice reports, Williams has been a full participant. Call it the game within the game, or something else entirely, but things are lining up for Williams to take the start against the Falcons on Sunday.
Chicago Bears Have Clear Trust in Tyson Bagent as Caleb Williams Return Looms