Why Tyson Bagent Is Starting: The Bears’ Unusual Quarterback Sequence
Tyson Bagent is expected to start at quarterback for the Chicago Bears against the New York Jets, which would make him the third Bears quarterback to start in the first four games of the season. This article explains how Caleb Williams’s hamstring injury, Bagent’s own concussion, and a rare backup situation created that sequence.
One injury, then another
The chain began when Caleb Williams left Chicago’s game against the Minnesota Vikings with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. The Bears ruled him out for a second straight game, and ESPN, citing NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter, reported Williams’s recovery timeline at three to four weeks. Bagent replaced him late in the loss to the Vikings, but he was hit and sustained a concussion in the fourth quarter. He did not clear the league’s concussion protocol until the days leading into the Bears’ Week 3 game against the Eagles, and he had only one practice before that game. That kept him from starting in Week 3.
Third starter in four games
Bagent is now expected to start in Week 4. The Bears had not publicly announced the starter as of ESPN’s report, and coach Ben Johnson did not disclose the decision, but ESPN reported that Bagent took the majority of first-team reps in practice. Case Keenum will serve as his backup.
NBC Sports research noted that if Bagent starts, Chicago becomes the first team since the 1997 Jacksonville Jaguars to use three different starting quarterbacks in the first four games. The Bears also placed left tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve, according to the Chicago Tribune, adding a complication up front.
Why it matters
This is not Bagent’s first run as a starter. He started four games as a rookie while Justin Fields was out with a thumb injury, and Chicago went 2-2 in that stretch. That gives the Bears some reason to believe he can handle a start. But the broader problem is inconsistency. The offense has had to change quarterbacks three times in roughly a month, and Bagent’s own recovery limited his practice time. With a reshuffled offensive line and a Jets defense preparing for a backup, Chicago’s margin for error is thin.
Williams’s hamstring is expected to heal within a few weeks, but the schedule does not pause. If Chicago can stay competitive while its starter recovers, the short-term disruption will be a footnote. If not, the first month of the season will carry a much different meaning. For now, the job falls to Bagent, and the Bears are relying on a backup who has done this before—just not under these circumstances.