QB · CHI · 38 yrs · exp 14 · Houston
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Our Bears vs. Bengals prediction and picks for Friday are backing Chicago's backup QB tandem of Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum to win big on the road
The Bears scored 24 points and put up 235 yards in the second half of their 34-10 preseason win over the Browns on Saturday. Head coach Ben Johnson revealed after the game that wide receivers coach/assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El called the plays in the second half. “Has anybody ever had a better first outing than Antwaan Randle El?” quarterback Tyson Bagent said, via Dan Wiederer of TheAthletic.com. “ That’s just who he is . He’s always prepared. He knows the ins and outs of the playbook. So really, it was not surprising — at least for us on the sideline.” Randle El, who turns 47 next week, impressed Johnson and the quarterbacks with the way he handled the call sheet. “He did a phenomenal job,” Johnson said. “He was part of the quarterbacks’ meeting [Friday] night, and we were talking about what was on the call sheet and their favorites and all that. I think it was a phenomenal experience for him. I know our guys really rallied around that.” Declan Doyle was the Bears’ offensive coordinator last year, but Johnson called the plays. Thus, Johnson allowed Doyle to leave for Baltimore to become the Ravens’ offensive coordinator and play-caller this season. The Bears believe Randle El is a rising star in the NFL coaching ranks and destined to run things in the not-too-distant future. “I know he’s going to be a head coach,” veteran quarterback Case Keenum said. “I think his demeanor in front of the team, his leadership qualities, are top-notch. Some of the best I’ve been around. His relatability to players? I mean, it’s the fact that he’s been there, done that with just about everything. And there’s no, for lack of a better word, ‘coachspeak’ to him. It’s all real.” Randle El, a former NFL star receiver, followed Johnson from Detroit to Chicago when Johnson was hired by the Bears in 2025
Entering his 4th season with the Bears, Tyson Bagent remains a steadfast presence. Ever since arriving from Shepard University in 2023, he’s been nothing but business, support, and hard work. To this point in his career, Bagent has earned everything that has come his way, most notably the two-year $10 million deal he signed in 2025. Still, with Caleb Williams being positioned as the long-term starter in Chicago, you can’t help but imagine that Bagent’s time with the Bears has an eventual expiration date. In fact, with the current trend of former backups earning starting jobs (and big contracts) you have to imagine Bagent’s competitive spirit will lead him elsewhere sooner rather than later. Which leads me to my question…. The implication of this question is not about if Bagent is supplanted by Keenum or another QB as the primary backup for the Bears, but whether another team goes shopping for QB help midseason. There are two primary scenarios where Bagent could plausibly be traded mid-season. A starting QB gets injured, and Bagent is brought in to keep the ship afloat. A team moves on from their starter and view Bagent as a potential long term option. A midseason trade for a backup quarterback more often leans towards the first scenario, but there are some teams that may want a jump on bringing Bagent into their building before the season is over. But first, let’s look at Bagent’s career so far. Bagent is the all-time passing leader in NCAA Division II history, posting 13,658 yards on a 69% completion percentage, and 123 TDs to 38 INTs. In the NFL he has started 4 games, going 2-2. He has passed for 917 yards on 66.4% completion, with 3 TDs to 6 INTs. All 6 of those INTs happened in his rookie year when filling in for the injured Justin Fields However, his best performance was in the 2025 preseason where he threw for 401 yards, 5 TDs, and 1 INT in three starts. This is where the chatter around his potential grew. Beyond his statistics, Bagent is a known gym rat whose non-traditional conditioning techniques have captivated fans. So, is he a good candidate to be traded? Considering he is one of the few backups that are still ascending, I think there is a very good chance he gets traded in 2026. Let’s look at some places that make sense. This first category is for teams that need to compete, have an established (and injury prone) QB1, but a poor QB2 option. Denver Broncos Bo Nix is recovering from a bad injury in the playoffs, while the Broncos are absolutely gearing for a deep playoff run. To this point in his career, Jared Stidham has underwhelmed. He has also been in the league long enough for us to know who he is. Los Angeles Chargers Justin Herbert doesn’t have a long injury history, but he has missed enough time to make you worried. He has fractured his left hand/wrist three times and injured his throwing shoulder three times. When you look at the now journeyman Trey Lance behind him, you wonder if a better backup is needed. Tampa Bay Buccaneers While Baker Mayfield is known to be a tough guy willing to play through injuries, a report noted he played with a litany of ailments in 2025 including MCL and PCL injuries. Pair this with a below average backup in Jake Browning , and it’s very possible Bagent could be viewed as an option in Tampa . Arizona Cardinals While the Cardinals appear to be preparing themselves for a #1 overall pick, it’s possible that a talented core of Jeremiyah Love, Marvin Harrison Jr. , and Trey McBride keep them from being at the top. In that scenario, it may be worth taking on a flyer with Bagent midseason to give them time to evaluate ahead of the draft. New York Jets The Jets have found their way back to Geno Smith , who looks like he might be near the end of an interesting career. While a player like Cade Klubnik is interesting, they may not want to throw him into the first if Smith proves to be done. Bringing in a vet, that still possesses a ceiling like Bagent could be [... truncated ...]
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Chicago Bears fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Like many, the first thought I had on this topic was tight end. After all, Colston Loveland seems primed for the Pro Bowl this season, Cole Kmet has a decent chance at breaking the franchise reception record for a tight end this year, and rookie Sam Roush was called the best blocking tight end in the draft. The Bears’ 13 personnel could be deadly in 2026. But then I started thinking about the quarterback room. Sure, if QB1 were to go down, the season would be in jeopardy, and the offense would need to change, but that can be said for just about every other team around the league. I’m also extremely confident that Caleb Williams is going to take another step in 2026. I’m also confident that Tyson Bagent would be able to perform better than most QB2s around the NFL (especially with Ben Johsnon calling the shots). And Case Keenum has 66 starts under his belt, which makes him one of the, if not the most experienced QB3s in the NFL. Sound off in the comment section and vote in this week’s poll! Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system!
The Buffalo Bills have an elite quarterback. That’s not just me rambling; the good folks over at ESPN recently released their quarterback rankings, and they had Josh Allen at No. 1 among all NFL signal-callers. Our own top-dog, Chris Trapasso, wrote that Allen is the best player in the NFL before that ESPN piece published. Any discussion of the backup quarterback spot, then, is tainted a bit with the knowledge that none of us want to see that backup in the game for an extended period of time. Whether we’re talking about Case Keenum , Mitchell Trubisky , Matt Barkley , or the subject of today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we know that the backup quarterback is nowhere near as good as the starting quarterback. _____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Kyle Allen Number: 11 Position: QB Height/Weight: 6’3” 210 lbs. Age: 30 (31 on 3/8/2027) Experience/Draft: 8; signed with the Carolina Panthers following the 2018 NFL Draft College: Houston Acquired: Signed with Bills on 3/12/2026 Financial situation (per Spotrac): Allen signed a two-year deal worth $4.1 million overall this spring. For the 2026 season, his cap hit if he makes the 53-man roster is $1.9 million. If he’s released, the Bills will carry a dead cap charge of $1.8 million this season. 2025 Recap: Allen spent last year with the Detroit Lions as the backup to Jared Goff . He played just sixteen offensive snaps in the regular season, throwing two incomplete passes and kneeling three times for -3 rushing yards. He had plenty of action in the preseason, though, completing 79.5% of his pass attempts (35-of-44) for 401 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He rushed five times for 16 yards, as well. Positional outlook: Allen is one of three quarterbacks on the current roster. Josh Allen and Shane Buechele are the others. 2026 Offseason: Allen is healthy and he participated in offseason workouts. He’s likely to see lots of action in the preseason. 2026 Season outlook: In some places, the starting quarterback is weak enough where fans and pundits clamor for the backup quarterback to take the field. With the Bills, it’s the exact opposite: The starting quarterback is elite, so absolutely no one hopes that the backup sees a snap that doesn’t involve garbage-time kneel-downs this season. If Kyle Allen does have to play for an extended time, it likely spells curtains for the Bills. He hasn’t had any extended playing ime in the NFL since the 2022 season when he started two games for the Houston Texans . He was mildly successful in his one season starting with the Carolina Panthers, throwing 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 13 games back in 2019, but let’s be realistic here: Josh Allen is one of one. Kyle Allen, while he might be a great locker room guy and a serviceable veteran to hold the clipboard on Sundays, isn’t the man we want taking snaps. With all of that said, Allen is worlds better than Shane Buechele, the only other person vying for a role on the sidelines on Sundays. Kyle Allen will be Josh Allen’s backup this season
During Chicago Bears OTAs, a clip of Caleb Williams throwing a touchdown pass to Rome Odunze gained traction. While the throw was praised for its difficulty and accuracy, some commentators are focusing on Odunze's catching technique, referencing a past dropped touchdown in a playoff loss. The discussion highlights the debate around whether Odunze needs to improve his hand-catching ability
The Bears have kept stability at the most important position, with Caleb Williams remaining in place as the franchise quarterback and both of last year's backups, Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum , back as well. Head coach Ben Johnson likes that. Johnson said it's helpful that this offseason isn't about teaching the quarterbacks his offense, it's about expanding upon the progress they made last year. “Everyone knows what the expectations are in the building, what meetings look like,” Johnson said, via the Chicago Sun-Times . “There’s just a different level of, I don’t want to say comfort, but they know. They know what it’s supposed to look like .” Johnson said the command of the offense is exactly what he's looking for from his quarterback. “The communication in the huddle, what it looks like to break the huddle, the urgency to the line of scrimmage, the tempo that we want to stress the defense with, the quarterback plays a huge part in that,” Johnson said. “He orchestrates the whole operation. And those guys have taken that to heart and so from that aspect, feel really good about where we’re at. Now, it’s the next level of each concept. ‘What are we trying to do?’ And potentially expanding on, ‘Hey, here’s your progression, 1, 2, 3,’ to how can we accelerate our eyes, our vision? What are we looking for? Some coverage indicators to where we might take more alerts.” With Johnson as their head coach and Williams as their starting quarterback, the Bears think their future is very bright. Johnson is liking what he's seeing
Bears head coach Ben Johnson expressed optimism about his quarterbacks' progress in Year 2 of his offense, highlighting improved understanding and command from Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, and Case Keenum. Johnson noted the team is focusing on expanding concepts rather than reteaching fundamentals, which he believes will accelerate their play against defenses
A video clip of Caleb Williams throwing to Rome Odunze during Bears OTAs has generated buzz on social media. Several personalities commented on the throw, with some speculating about its distance and Williams' potential in his second year. The article playfully asks for 'wrong answers only' regarding the throw's distance
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