One of the first moves new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson made was shaking up the quarterback room. It was always an odd decision not to provide rookie Caleb Williams with a veteran backup to lean on. Perhaps it was a simple oversight or a wish not to provide anything resembling competition in year one. Regardless, it was a mistake the Bears have remedied bringing in Case Keenum as the team's new backup option.
While the veteran was considering retirement, Johnson was able to talk the quarterback into returning for at least one additional season to help Williams and Chicago's offense.
It is a win to have a backup with so much starting experience that will have a chance to see things others might miss. Williams can lean on the veteran without feeling any threat or worrying about his own role. Keenum isn't there to attempt to win a chance to start but to do everything he can to contribute to winning from a backup role. All of this leaves the Bears with a difficult choice to make between Tyson Bagent and Austin Reed for the final roster spot.
The Bears Should Part Ways With Tyson Bagent
Bagent was a fun story who worked his way into the starting lineup due to a complete lack of other options. While the young quarterback is extremely limited the starting experience is enough to keep the backup in an emergency role either in Chicago or in a new landing spot. There is no debate whether Reed is the more interesting option as a lesser-known option.
With this in mind, the Bears would be wise to cut Bagent and move on from a quarterback who was a piece of underwhelming seasons. Turn the page completely on your old quarterback room and allow Case Keenum and Ben Johnson to work with Reed as a development backup option and Williams as the expected future of the franchise.
While Bagent had a handful of fun moments there was no sustained level of production. It is time to turn the page and attempt to find a new backup option with a bit more upside.