Bears Turn to Tyson Bagent as Starting QB for Week 4 Clash with Jets

With rookie quarterback Caleb Williams still recovering from a hamstring strain, the Chicago Bears have decided on their starter for Week 4. According to The Athletic, Tyson Bagent will be under center when the Bears host the New York Jets on Sunday.

Bagent, who has been the team's primary backup, was initially sidelined last week due to concussion protocol, forcing veteran Case Keenum into action. Keenum, 38, delivered a stunning upset over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, throwing for 247 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-7 victory.

That performance raised questions about who would start in Week 4, but head coach Ben Johnson is sticking with his original plan. "We'll have a discussion as a coaching staff, and we'll see where we need to go from here," Johnson said earlier this week. "But I said it last week, and I'll say it again. There was a reason why Tyson ended training camp as our No. 2 quarterback."

With Bagent starting, the Bears will become the third team in NFL history to start three different quarterbacks in the first four weeks of a season, and the first since the 1997 Jacksonville Jaguars, per CBS Sports Research.

Bagent's journey to Chicago began in 2023 when he went undrafted out of Shepherd University, a Division II school in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. His impressive preseason earned him a spot on the 53-man roster, and he made four starts as a rookie. In Week 7, he won his first career start against the Las Vegas Raiders, throwing for 162 yards and a touchdown. He then lost back-to-back starts against the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints before defeating No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers in prime time, 16-13.

Bagent hasn't started a game since that rookie season, but he did earn a contract extension with the Bears prior to the 2025 campaign, making him the first Bears quarterback to sign an extension since Jay Cutler in January 2014, according to The Athletic.

Now, Bagent has a chance to lead Chicago to its third win of the season.

Originally reported by cbssports.