Ben Johnson is not one to comply with the expectations or give in to public demands. So, when the Chicago Bears head coach saw his plans at quarterback get revealed more than 24 hours before the game, he wanted to throw the media through a loop.
Ben Johnson Unveils Chicago Bears Starting QB Plans
Despite reports that Tyson Bagent was set to start in Week 5, Johnson had veteran Case Keenum trot out with the offense for the first snap of the game. Tyson Bagent was also on the field, but Keenum took the first snap and handed it off. Then, Bagent took over.
Johnson said the reason was a bit ceremonial, but also Johnson was taking a shot at making the reports look inaccurate.
“I got all these memos saying Tyson was starting before I ever made an announcement, so I wanted to get Case out there for the first time. It was like a ceremonial first pitch out there, handing off the torch," said Johnson
This is not the first time that Johnson has pushed back on media reports. When Coby Bryant was only expected to miss a few weeks, Johnson said that the reports did not come from him. Johnson was correct, and Bryant was out for much longer.
Johnson has done the same with Caleb Williams, saying he is much closer to week-to-week than reports suggest. Now, he is putting the reports into his own hands by starting Keenum over Bagent.
Still, Johnson did end up starting Bagent. Funnily enough, he told the media after the Monday Night Football game about his plans.
“We’ll have a discussion as a coaching staff, and we’ll see where we need to go from here, but I said it last week, and I will say it again, there is a reason why Tyson ended training camp as our backup quarterback,” said Johnson after the game.
They did not believe him, creating the possibility that Keenum would start. So, Johnson played into that.
Bagent was 25 for 34 in the Bears' win. He had 268 passing yards, threw an interception, and took a sack. Johnson confirmed that Bagent was always going be their starter in Week 5 after the game.
"Tyson (Bagent) has earned the right to be our No. 2 quarterback,” said Johnson. “I have a lot of confidence in him. I thought he played really well today, efficient with the football. I thought he had a great job with the operation."
There are no doubts about who will start next week, assuming Williams is out again. However, we now know not to assume with Johnson.
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