The Green Bay Packers just about managed to navigate the Baker Mayfield-less Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday’s early kickoff, and in somewhat fortunate fashion the Packers get to face-off against their second backup QB in two weeks.
The Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson revealed on Monday that Caleb Williams would not return in Week 5, having now missed two games with a grade-two hamstring strain and that Tyson Bagent will continue as the starter in his stead against Green Bay.
Ben Johnson Confirms Tyson Bagent is Starter V.S. Green Bay
FULL CONVERSATION WITH BEN JOHNSON: t.co/j431M2MKo8 #benjohnson #JeffJoniak #ChicagoBears #Bears #DaBears #TysonBagent
“Tyson will be the guy [against the Packers] and we’ll go forward from there. So we’re in good shape.” Johnson said to Jeff Joniak on ESPN Chicago on Monday.
The Bears have been incredibly productive without Williams, who famously lead the devastating 18-point comeback in the Wild Card round of the playoffs back in January, going 2-0 since his injury and putting up an average of 25 points per game.
For Green Bay this represents the second consecutive week that the team will face a QB2, having gone up against rookie undrafted free agent, ex-Kansas QB Jalon Daniels this past week in Tampa Bay.
Packers Set to Face Backup QB Once More in Week 5
But Bagent is a very different proposition to the rookie Daniels. Although Johnson called the 26-year old’s performance on Sunday a “mixed bag”, he remains one of the better backups in the NFL and threw for 268 yards against a generally stingy New York Jets defense.
And unlike Daniels, who relied on his elusiveness in the run game as a dual-threat option, Bagent is an accomplished passer of the ball who can run Johnson’s offense the way it is intended to be, so the injury adjustments will be far smaller than those Tampa Bay made against Green Bay in Week 4.
The Packers will also be sans linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who it was confirmed today will miss the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles suffered against the Bucs.
Packers Get Big Bears QB News Ahead of Week 5 Divisional Matchup