Source - Bears expected to start QB Tyson Bagent vs. Jets - ESPN

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears are expected to start Tyson Bagent at quarterback against the New York Jets, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

While coach Ben Johnson did not publicly disclose who would start in place of Caleb Williams in Week 4, sources told Rapoport that Bagent took the majority of first-team reps at practice during the week. Case Keenum will serve as Bagent's backup against the Jets.

Williams was ruled out for a second straight game as he recovers from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. His recovery timeline is expected to be three to four weeks, according to Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Bagent's last start came in 2023 in a 16-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, which is 1,059 days removed from Sunday. He started four games his rookie season while former Bears quarterback Justin Fields dealt with a thumb injury. Chicago went 2-2 during that stretch.

Bagent sustained a concussion late in the fourth quarter in a 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings after Williams left the game with injury. He did not clear the concussion protocol until last Sunday and practiced only once leading into the Philadelphia Eagles game, thus why he did not start in Week 3.

But not long after the Bears earned their second win of the season, Johnson reiterated that Bagent was named the backup quarterback at the end of training camp «for a reason.»

Johnson said midweek that the Bears knew the «direction» they want to go at quarterback, but that the hot-hand conversation with Keenum would play a part in the evaluation.

«There is such a thing as playing the hot hand,» Johnson said Friday. «That is real. We're certainly taking that into consideration. And yet, there's a body of work that goes into it as well. There's a lot of factors