Bears QB Tyson Bagent In Concussion Protocol

This is an unexpected blow to a Chicago team that lost Williams to a hamstring strain late in the fourth quarter of a 9-3 loss to the Vikings in Week 2. Bagent finished the game in Williams’ place and went 5 of 9 for 54 yards. While there is still a chance the 26-year-old Bagent will make the fifth start of his career in Week 3 (and his first since 2023), he is facing an uphill climb to get through the concussion protocol by next Monday.

There remains an outside shot Williams will be available on Monday, as the Bears have not ruled him out yet. However, although Williams’ injury ended up being far less severe than it initially looked, odds are he will miss at least one game. If he and Bagent are out of commission, Keenum will make the 67th start of his career and the first since Dec. 24, 2023, when he was a member of the Texans. He hasn’t made a single regular-season appearance since then.

A former University of Houston star, Keenum went undrafted in 2012. Over 80 NFL games, Keenum has thrown 71 touchdowns against 53 interceptions and posted an 84.6 passer rating. The 38-year-old journeyman has gone 30-36 as a starter, including 11-3 during a career year with the Vikings in 2017. Despite a lack of on-field experience over the past couple of the years, the Bears have given Keenum two contracts since 2025. Keenum is so respected behind the scenes that there was talk of him joining the Bears’ coaching staff last winter, but he instead re-signed to play on a two-year, $5.5MM deal with $2.9MM in guarantees.

It may now be up to Keenum to help the Bears overcome the 2-0 Eagles in a key early season matchup between potential NFC contenders. The Eagles’ defense has allowed the league’s sixth-fewest passing yards through two weeks, though the unit has generated just three sacks and gone without an interception.