Bear Digest

Comical rating shows Caleb Williams isn't the only disrespected Bears QB

Lions backup QB with no record for NFL success gets ranked far ahead of Bears backup in lastest ranking of NFL backups.
Gene Chamberlain|
The lack of respect for Tyson Bagent (17) and Case Keenum continues.
The lack of respect for Tyson Bagent (17) and Case Keenum continues. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

First Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano made a mess and now it appears Pro Football Network has stepped in it.

This regards the latest attempt to rank backup quarterbacks.

It's easy to understand. They don't like Tyson Bagent OK.. He's ranked 31st among backups by SI's Manzano and now PFN has him 30th. He was an undrafted free agent from Division II, so respect will come begrudgingly. But let's give him some credit. He did win two of his four 2023 rookie starts.

OK, you don't like the Bears backup.

How Case Keenum doesn't even rate is amazing. The man authored a miracle in Minneapolis and has 66 NFL starts Maybe it's the age, but even at 37 his decisions in the pocket and throws look better than what most teams have to work with if they lose their starter.

What is really tough to understand is how Detroit backup Hendon Hooker rates middle of the league on both of these rankings, far ahead of the Bears' backups. PFN ranks him 17th and SI 16th.

These are so far off, they're about as accurate as when the Bears thought they had their backup situation settled with PJ Walker.

"Hendon Hooker has a lot of talent, but tore his ACL as a rookie and threw just nine passes as Jared Goff's backup in 2024," PFN wrote. "This Lions offense has a plethora of talent around him, so I think that they would lean on the Gibbs/Montgomery duo to lead the offense, but Hooker should be able to hold his own if ever called upon."

First of all, this is a ranking of the backups, not a surrounding cast who is there to carry the backups. Many QBs can win if you hand them the cast Detroit has.

If they wanted to rank rosters, they should have simply done this.

Second, Hooker hasn't done enough to warrant any kind of ranking. What he has done is show he can run if required. Great. Lots of quarterbacks coming out of college can run every year. He needs to be a passer first, and hasn't even proven he can do this in the NFL.

Hooker has thrown nine NFL passes with six completions and that's it. His preseason play shows he isn't much to get excited about as he has a 64.7 passer rating for two preseasons of action with one interception, three touchdown throws and 62.5% completions.

Detroit thought so little of Hooker that they talked Teddy Bridgewater into returning from a job coaching high school to play as their backup last year.

At least make someone prove themselves.

The combination of Bagent and Keenum is lightly regarded and this is probably wrong. Most people underrate any Bears quarterback, and to be honest there is a long history supporting those who do this. But both of these backups have some nice statistics backing them.

Hooker doesn't and he doesn't belong anywhere near the middle of the backup NFL QB rankings. Detroit sources say he'd be lucky to make their team.

He played again on Saturday in the game against Miami. His line: 6 of 13, 61 yards, two sacks taken, an interception and a passer rating of 28.0. Not surprising.

Kyle Allen outperformed him, completing 14 of 17 for 124 yards with two TDs and a 136.3 rating. His passer rating for two preseason games is 114.8, Hooker's 36.1.

Allen is Detroit's backup and the one who should have been ranked by SI and PFN. He didn't appear on their rankings.

Not surprising. Just ask the Bears QBs, especially Case Keenum.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.