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
