The Chicago Bears have cast doubt on whether backup quarterback Tyson Bagent will get another start against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 — even if they rule out starter Caleb Williams for another week with his hamstring injury.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson has left the door open for Williams to return to the lineup in the upcoming week, but he has also kept his cards close to the vest about his backup quarterback plans in the event that Williams misses his fourth straight game.
Bagent, the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart, would seem the most likely candidate to start in Williams’ place again after playing most of the past two games for the Bears. He struggled tremendously against Green Bay in Week 5’s blowout loss, though.
The Bears also have another backup option in veteran Case Keenum, who dominated the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football two weeks ago.
Asked whether Bagent is still the next man up after the loss to the Packers, Johnson dodged the question and kept things broad in terms of which quarterback might play.
“I think we have three guys that can win games in this league,” Johnson said Monday.
Bears QB Tyson Bagent Benched in Ugly Start vs. Packers
Bagent had a rough game against the Packers in his first official start since 2023, completing just 12 of his 21 passes for 87 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
Most critically, Bagent seemed to have issues with his decision-making. He threw his first interception from a clean pocket, overlooking a safe check-down option to tight end Colston Loveland and instead throwing into double coverage.
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve just got to go through my progressions and trust it,” Bagent said in Sunday’s postgame. “They were getting a lot of depth at the second level, so really just got to come down and dump it down to Loveland on that one.”
On his second interception, Bagent actually looked Loveland’s way after throwing to him to convert a fourth down on the previous play, but he threw it high and off the mark, allowing Xavier McKinney to tally his second pick of the game.
The Bears benched Bagent for Keenum in the fourth quarter after his second pick.
“We’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the football,” Johnson said after the game. “Three interceptions as a whole. That’s too many. Hard to overcome five turnovers.”
Bears News: Caleb Williams Could Return vs. Falcons in Week 6
The question about whether Bagent will get another start could be moot in a few days.
That’s because, for all intents and purposes, Williams is trending toward playing his first game since Week 2 when the Bears face the Falcons on Sunday afternoon.
According to ESPN’s Ian Rapoport, “all signs point” toward Williams playing against the Falcons after a few positive developments before Week 5’s game.
Williams returned to practice last Friday for the first time since injuring his hamstring on September 20. The Bears also put him through an intensive workout in the pregame against the Packers, offering more evidence that his return is near.
The Bears’ next step is seeing how Williams practices in the week ahead. They listed him as questionable against the Packers after just one practice last week. If he strings together three — or upgrades to full participation — the path will be clear for him to rejoin the lineup.
The Bears will face the Falcons on the road at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 18.
Bears’ Ben Johnson Dodges Tyson Bagent Question, Casting Doubt on QB