The Chicago Bears have played in two games since superstar Caleb Williams went down with a grade two hamstring strain on a running play against the Minnesota Vikings in week two. In those two weeks, head coach Ben Johnson had decided to test out both of the Bears’ backup quarterbacks, being long time journeyman Case Keenum, and younger, division two phenom, Tyson Bagent. While both quarterbacks helped the Bears win their respective games, it is unclear who will be more fit to play in Sunday’s rivalry showdown against the Bears’ hated foe, the Green Bay Packers.
On the Bears’ Monday night win during week three against the Philadelphia Eagles, coach Johnson elected to start third string quarterback Case Keenum, amid a concussion to the usual backup quarterback Tyson Bagent. In the win, Keenum stunned the whole entire NFL world, not only winning the game, but putting up great stats along the way. He completed 24/34 of his pass attempts for 247 yards and two touchdowns, along with a rushing touchdown; his first since 2019.
This last week against the New York Jets, Johnson decided to roll out the usual backup quarterback, Tyson Bagent, who had not seen a start since the 2023 season. During the game, Bagent and the Bears’ run game led them to a dominant victory over New York, seeing them win 23-12. Bagent completed 25-34 of his pass attempts, throwing for 268 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Something to highlight about Bagent in this game was the fact that he had three thrown interceptions that got called back via New York penalties.
Long time Bears fan Juan Leal, who had watched the past two games, formed a strong opinion on who he thinks should start against the Packers.
“Keenum should start, he’s just better,” said Leal
Leal.While both quarterbacks performed well in their starts, neither truly showed why one should start over the other, leading to a lot of speculation within the Bears fanbase. On one hand, Ben Johnson could start Keenum, who has much more experience and was shown to be very effective in a Ben Johnson offense, or stick with the traditional backup quarterback Bagent, who made the more flashy plays, while also having the worse lowlights.
Regardless of who they decide to start, the Bears are set to walk into Lambeau Field in Green Bay Wisconsin this Sunday, and face off against the Packers and Jordan Love. Even with the Packers starting off the season very poorly, this game is significant for both teams, and a win is absolutely necessary if the Bears want to continue momentum until injured superstar quarterback Caleb Williams returns to action.
Written by junior Zach Thomas. Edited by staff writers for the Oswego East’s online news magazine The Howl.