Bears To Start QB Tyson Bagent In Week 5

During his latest appearance on ESPN 1000 radio, head coach Ben Johnson announced Bagent will get the nod for Week 5. Keenum technically started yesterday’s win by taking the first snap, but otherwise it was Bagent who led the offense against the Jets. After Keenum handled the full game in Week 3 along with the opening offensive play on Sunday, he will dress as Bagent’s backup.

“Tyson will be the guy,” Johnson said (via The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain) when speaking about the decision. “We’ll go from there. We’re in good shape.”

Bagent completed 25 of 34 attempts on Sunday, totaling 268 scoreless passing yards and throwing one interception. The ground game was key for the Bears in a win which saw them dominate time of possession en route to a 23-12 victory. Bagent, who has impressed over the course of his four-year Bears tenure, will be counted on to deliver a similar showing against the Packers. The former undrafted free agent has made 14 appearances and five (essentially six) starts during the regular season.

Williams is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. After not missing any games during his first two seasons, the former No. 1 pick is now set for a third straight contest on the sidelines. Johnson was not immediately forthcoming with his Week 4 quarterback plans after Keenum’s strong showing, but he has elected to make Chicago’s setup clear earlier in the week this time around.

The Bears are 3-1 at the moment, putting them one game behind the Vikings for top spot in the NFC North and one game ahead of both the Packers and Lions. Williams’ absence is not expected to last much longer, but he will sit out at least one more game with Bagent filling in again.