It is pretty clear to everyone paying any attention around the NFL that the Chicago Bears will not have starting quarterback Caleb Williams at their disposal against the New York Jets in Week 4, but no one outside the organization knows yet who will get the nod under center.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson intimated on Wedensday, September 30 that the coaching staff has a strong idea of which way it is heading regarding the QB1 role this coming Sunday, but he remains unprepared to divulge that information publicly.
Ben Johnson said "the direction" for who the Bears will start at QB has already been determined for the Jets game without a public declaration on who that is. "We'll be in good shape for Sunday."
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) September 30, 2026
"Ben Johnson said 'the direction' for who the Bears will start at QB has already been determined for the Jets game without a public declaration on who that is. 'We'll be in good shape for Sunday,'" Courtney Cronin of ESPN reported on X.
Bears will decide between starting Case Keenum for second straight week, transitioning to Tyson Bagent
Johnson can choose 38-year-old veteran Case Keenum, who blew the doors off of a good Philadelphia Eagles defense on Monday Night Football on the Bears' way to a 27-7 victory in Keenum's first start since 2023
Chicago's other option is Tyson Bagent, who is 12 years Keenum's junior and began the season as the backup QB behind Williams. Bagent did not start Monday after suffering a concussion in Week 2 and failing to clear the league's mandatory protocol until Sunday. By that point, Johnson and the offense had built the game plan around Keenum and decided to roll with him.
Keenum did not disappoint, tallying upwards of 250 yards and two passing touchdowns while also adding a TD on the ground.
Common logic dictates Chicago should stick with Keenum, who clearly inspired his teammates and has the respect of the locker room -- all evidenced by how well the defense played against the Eagles and all the support Keenum got from his fellow players both before and after his win on Monday Night Football.
But Johnson's logic is anything but common. He is a mad scientist when it comes to play-calling and development, so there is no telling what factors the Bears head coach might value most coming into Week 4 against the Jets.
Johnson might decide to roll with Bagent simply because common logic says stick with the guy who just won you a huge game in primetime while replacing the franchise QB. There is also the fact that the Jets have no recent film to study on Bagent, while they have four fresh quarters from Keenum just two nights ago.
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