Bears' Ben Johnson makes strong Tyson Bagent claim

While speaking with reporters on Monday, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that he hasn't yet ruled starting quarterback Caleb Williams out for Chicago's Week 3 "Monday Night Football" game against the 2-0 Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 28.

Backup Tyson Bagent will start for the Bears if Williams can't play due to the right hamstring injury he suffered during Chicago's 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday. On Monday, Johnson suggested that Chicago won't need to look elsewhere for a temporary QB1 in the event that Williams misses a game or two. 

Bears "feel strongly" about what Tyson Bagent could do versus Eagles

"We’ve had a lot of reps during the course of training camp and in the preseason," Johnson said about Bagent, per Dan Wiederer and Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. "So if it goes that route, I feel strongly about what he’s capable of. And our team does, too. They know he’s a darn good football player." 

Williams completed 15-of-26 passes for 138 yards and one interception against the Vikings in windy and rainy conditions before he went down with his setback. Bagent then went 5-of-9 passing for 54 yards before he took a fourth-down sack on the game's final play. 

In 2023, Bagent won two of four starts for the Bears. He has since attempted a total of just 15 regular-season passes. 

Why Ben Johnson isn't ruling Caleb Williams out

Also on Monday, Johnson expanded on why he feels Williams could make a stunning return to action as soon as on the final Monday of September. 

"This guy is a little bit different than the average human being," Johnson said about Williams. "He gets back — or he has in the past — a lot faster than what people anticipate. I’m not putting a timeline on this."

If Williams can't play in Week 3, he will attempt to get right for Chicago's game against the New York Jets on Oct. 4. As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Bears as three-point home underdogs against the Eagles. 

"He’s going to attack this with everything that he has," Johnson added about Williams' recovery. "He has a great team around him, both in this building and outside this building. And we’ll see where it goes from there."