Ben Johnson isn’t playing coy anymore. Straight up, the Bears’ head coach has already named Tyson Bagent the starting quarterback for the Week 5 showdown against the Green Bay Packers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped the news, reporting that Johnson made the announcement on ESPN 1000, signaling a clear direction for Chicago heading into a crucial division game.
The QB Carousel Stops, For Now
Look, the Bears have been through it under center lately. They were forced to roll with Case Keenum in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles, and honestly, he was incredible. Keenum totally made up for the absence of both Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent in that game. But then Week 4 against the New York Jets came around, and Johnson was playing mind games about who would start, before Bagent eventually got the nod. So, naming Bagent as the guy this early for the Packers game? It’s a completely different vibe this week, and it shouldn’t shock anyone. If Keenum was going to get another crack at the starting job, it would have been after his stellar Week 3 performance. It seems Johnson has made his call, at least for now.
Bagent’s Unremarkable, Yet Dominant, Week 4
Bagent and the Bears absolutely dominated the Jets in Week 4, but let’s be real, Bagent himself was, for the most part, unremarkable. He went 25 for 34 for 268 yards, put up no touchdowns, and tossed one interception. Add in four rushes for just one measly yard, and yeah, not exactly lighting up the stat sheet in his first real shot this season. But here’s the thing: he didn’t really need to. Kyle Monangai was an absolute beast on the ground, running the ball 30 times for an impressive 4.9 yards per touch. Plus, the Bears just owned the time of possession. When your run game and defense are doing that much work, the quarterback just needs to manage the game. However, facing the NFC North rival Packers next weekend, Bagent might need to step it up through the air if they want to come out on top.
This is Bagent’s offense for the foreseeable future. Caleb Williams is still sidelined, having already missed Week 3 and Week 4, and he’s now set to miss Week 5 as well. The word is Williams is eyeing a Week 6 return when the Bears face the Atlanta Falcons. Until then, the spotlight is firmly on Bagent. Can he elevate his game against a division foe? We’ll find out Sunday when the Bears roll into Green Bay. This is a huge test for him, and for Chicago.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply