Tyson Bagent looks like the guy for the Chicago Bears on Sunday against the New York Jets. NFL reporter James Palmer said the Bears are leaning toward Bagent over veteran Case Keenum while Caleb Williams heals, as first reported by ClutchPoints.
“They do believe he is one of the 32 best quarterbacks in all of football,” Palmer said. “Right now, it feels like it’s leaning towards Tyson Bagent.” Head coach Ben Johnson hasn’t made it official.
How Chicago Got Here
Williams has a Grade 2 hamstring strain from Week 2 against Minnesota, per the Chicago Sun-Times, and ClutchPoints says it was diagnosed as a three-to-four-week injury. (We covered the reaction when Williams went down.)
Bagent came in that day and went 5-of-9 for 54 yards before a concussion ended his afternoon. He reported the symptoms himself. “Your brain is far more important than being able to play in a game, no matter how high-stakes the game is,” he told the Sun-Times.
So the 38-year-old Keenum started Week 3 and handled business in a win over Philadelphia: no turnovers, a 2.41-second average release and a rushing touchdown, per ClutchPoints. Now that Bagent is cleared, the job looks like his again. Chicago is 2-1, and the Jets are 1-2.
The IAHHM Take
Respect the path. Bagent went undrafted out of Shepherd, a Division II school in West Virginia, and he’s now the guy an NFL staff reportedly views as a top-32 quarterback. Anybody who’s watched talent come out of the CIAA and small schools across the Carolinas knows the scouting map doesn’t always catch everybody.
It also says something that he spoke up about the concussion, even though it cost him a shot. That’s the kind of decision players at every level should feel safe making.
Keenum earned a look with a clean win, though. Do you ride the hot vet or give the young guy his run? More football talk lives on our Sports page.
Source: ClutchPoints | Additional reporting: Chicago Sun-Times
