Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson hasn’t made it clear who will start at quarterback this Sunday against the New York Jets — will it be Case Keenum or Tyson Bagent?
“We’ve got three guys,” Johnson said. “We’ll work through the week and see where they’re at.”
Well, NFL insider Adam Schefter gave his reasoning on why he believes Tyson Bagent will be the starter, and not Keenum.
Adam Schefter Gives Reasoning on Who’ll Start at QB for the Bears
Schefter believes Bagent will be the Bears starting quarterback come Sunday, saying, “I think it’ll be Tyson Bagent. …Here’s why I think it’s gonna be Bagent. And again, they’re keeping it secret. They’re keeping it close to the vest. I could be totally wrong by the time somebody listens to this, but I’ll say this — number one, they think Tyson Bagent is one of the top backups in the league. Good enough to start for some of the 32 other teams. Number two, he is their two. Number three, they are paying him like the backup quarterback, and number four you’re not counting on that type of performance from Case Keenum every single week. And, for as well as Keenum played, wait till you see Tyson Bagent. I think he’s very good. And this may be his own little audition for a starting job somewhere.”
What Schefter said is true, and to add to his reasoning, Ben Johnson told reporters that Bagent is the team’s No. 2 quarterback for a reason.
The reason why he didn’t start on Monday was likely due to the team having a conservative approach regarding his concussion, but all signs point to him taking over as the team’s starting quarterback on Sunday.
Case Keenum Making it A Tough Decision
There will be a lot of scrutiny if the Bears end up starting Tyson Bagent and he doesn’t perform up to expectations.
Especially when factoring in Case Keenum’s performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, throwing for 247 yards (70.6% completion percentage) with two touchdowns and a 110.8 passer rating.
“He played really decisive football, and it was much needed, too,” Johnson said regarding Keenum. “That group can get after the quarterback. They have a really talented front. He got pressured a few times and he was able to get rid of the ball. And he trusted that his guys were going to be where they’re supposed to be. He had a great grasp of the game plan, and I think once again that week of preparation really played into his confidence going into that game.”
Do the Bears roll on with Keenum, or switch it up back to Bagent?
NFL Insider Breaks Down Bears’ QB Decision Ahead of Jets Game