Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has kept everyone on the edge of their seats about his QB1 decision before the New York Jets game.
It appears we finally have some clarity on the situation. NFL Insider Tom Pelissero shared on X on Saturday, October 3, that “All signs are pointing towards Tyson Bagent as the Bears’ starting QB on Sunday.
Some folks believe the Bears are making a huge mistake by starting Bagent over veteran Case Keenum.
“I asked a couple of Jets players, and they were like, ‘If I were them, I’d start Case Keenum,’ ESPN’s Rich Cimini revealed on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
“I think we will see Bagent; I don’t really agree with that, though,” longtime radio analyst Brandon Tierney said on the “Jets Collective” podcast. “The vibes were good; I wouldn’t mess with that, but I think that they will.”
“The Bears love Tyson Bagent; I don’t get it. I mean, the guy hasn’t played in a while. I know he did well a couple of years ago when they had to throw him in there for a few games, but I’m like, BT, I would play Keenum, but I don’t think they will,” Cimini added.
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“This is a bad idea, Keenum defied expectations on Monday so why not keep the momentum and roll with the hot hand? Makes no sense to me,” Bears analyst Sports With X said.
“Unfair to Case,” another analyst responded.
“Blows my mind. If Bagent struggles, there’s going to be a lot of questions why Chicago didn’t just ride with the hot hand this week,” beat reporter Nick Faria of Jets on SI said.
Personally I’d stick with Case cuz we know who Bagent is really & Case played well against a tough Eagles defense. Stick with the hot hand until it falls flat on the face imo,” a Bears fan posted.
A Potential Advantage for the Green and White
Bagent is an inexperienced quarterback. At the NFL level, he has only registered four starts. Even with those opportunities, he hasn’t been overly impressive.
He has thrown twice as many interceptions (six) as passing touchdowns (three). Bagent has completed 65.8% of his passes and has thrown for 971 passing yards.
What he hasn’t shown in the regular season has been evident in the preseason.
“In Bagent’s last game action, during the Bears’ preseason finale at Tennessee, he completed 16 of 17 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns across four possessions in the first half. That resulted in a 156.9 passer rating and included a 97-yard touchdown strike to rookie Zavion Thomas on the Bears’ first offensive snap. The Bears, with Bagent under center, also converted four fourth downs, including the quarterback’s nifty 2-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Alexander,” Dan Wiederer of The Athletic wrote.
Keenum, on the other hand, is coming off a great showing in Week 3. He has also seen a lot more football. Across his 15-year career, Keenum has 67 starts.
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