Bears QB Musical Chairs: Keenum Starts Monday Night

Per Jay Glazer, the Bears stuck with Keenum because Bagent missed most of the week’s practice and game-plan work while clearing protocol. That is the practical call for one night. If Keenum struggles against Vic Fangio’s Eagles defense, Bagent is dressed and available.

The bigger cloud remains Caleb Williams. League sources told Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport that Williams has a Grade 2 hamstring injury doctors view as a three-to-four-week issue. That is a significant strain, not a quick tweak, and it already rules him out Monday. The Bears have not put him on injured reserve, so an earlier return is still possible if rehab goes well. Pushing him back too soon risks turning a multi-week problem into something longer.

Monday night is a stress test either way. After the 9-3 clunker against the Minnesota Vikings , Ben Johnson has to call an offense with his third-stringer under center against Fangio. The next few weeks, including Jets and Packers if Williams sits that long, will show how deep this roster really is behind the franchise quarterback. For more on the week of uncertainty, see the Friday injury report.