Ben Johnson must own Bears’ brutal Tyson Bagent misfire that proves Caleb Williams haters wrong

October 12, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

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The Chicago Bears suffered one of their most embarrassing losses of the Ben Johnson era on Sunday. Chicago got hammered by Green Bay in a 31-7 beatdown that never felt close. It is a brutal loss to a hated NFC North opponent, and one of the most puzzling offensive performances by the Bears under Johnson’s leadership.

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A big part of the problem was the poor play of Tyson Bagent. He finished the game 12-of-21 for 87 yards and two interceptions. Chicago ended up benching Bagent for Keenum, who has looked solid recently as a bridge starter.

Fortunately, Caleb Williams should be back next week which should improve a lot. But now the Bears need to reevaluate their backup quarterback position after gaining more information over the past few weeks.

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Perhaps more importantly, Chicago needs to own their miscalculation of Bagent’s talent after Sunday’s dreadful loss to Green Bay.

Ben Johnson, Bears put too much faith in Tyson Bagent before 2026 season

Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

The Bears have always been pretty high on Bagent. But that opinion needs to be readjusted after seeing him struggle as a starter this season.

Chicago gave Bagent a two-year, $10 million contract before the 2025 season to officially become the team’s backup of the future. Chicago’s front office decided to pay Bagent a healthy contract despite receiving trade interest in the young quarterback.

Those actions alone show their faith in Bagent. But Johnson came right out and said it this offseason.

Johnson claimed that Bagent is “probably one of the best 32 [quarterbacks] in the NFL” during the Combine back in February.

“I do think there’s a merit to having a strong No. 2 quarterback, which he certainly fits that bill,” Johnson said, per Gene Chamberlain of Bears on SI. “I’m of the mind the mindset he’s probably one of the best 32 (QBs) in the NFL. His preseason tape over the past few years has probably confirmed that in my opinion. But if I took myself out of the equation, I want what’s best for him. If he would like an opportunity to start I certainly hope he can get that somewhere.”

Bagent has flashed some nice potential in the past. However, this level of praise is clearly a bit off knowing what we know now after Week 5.

Chicago should have kept Case Keenum as their starter after solid stretch

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images.

At this point, Keenum looks like the much more reliable backup option in Chicago.

Keenum played incredibly well in Chicago’s 27-7 win over Philadelphia back in September. He went 24-of-34 for 247 passing yards with two touchdowns. The veteran quarterback did not do anything flashy, but kept the offense moving with respectable efficiency.

He also looked like the better quarterback in Week 5, going 11-of-19 for 108 passing yards and an interception in relief of Bagent.

Johnson explained that Bagent’s second interception forced him to hand the reins over to Keenum.

“We felt like we just wanted a little spark there,” Johnson said after the game. “Tyson just could never feel like he got in a rhythm here today, and so we’ll look at why that was the case. The second interception happened, and we just felt like let’s give Case a chance out there and see if we get different results.”

Obviously it is too late now for Chicago to start Keenum instead of Bagent. That said, the Bears should consider making Keenum their QB2 for the rest of the season. If anything else happens to Williams, Keenum has proven that he can be relied upon. Bagent has not.

The Bears can always go back to Bagent in case of emergency. But Keenum clearly is the better backup option for the rest of an important 2026 season for Chicago.

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