Tyson Bagent Gets First Meaningful Snaps Since 2023 After Caleb Williams Injury

The Chicago Bears getting absolutely dominated by the Minnesota Vikings on a rainy Sunday afternoon has tragically become only a minor talking point after Caleb Williams' injury in the fourth quarter. On a red zone scramble to the left with his eyes on the endzone, Williams fell awkwardly and was in immediate, severe pain.

Williams went to the blue tent on the sideline for an evaluation, but it wasn't long before a cart came out for Williams. This has potential to be an absolute nightmare scenario for the Bears.

In Williams' place is fourth-year quarterback Tyson Bagent. Bagent, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Bears in 2024, is getting his first meaningful snaps since 2023, when he started four games in place of the injured Justin Fields. In a cruel twist of irony, the game in which Fields was injured was also at home against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Bears aren't built to win without Caleb Williams

I have a lot of respect for Bagent and how far he's come. He came from Shepherd University, a small Division II school and joined the Bears as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2023. He worked his butt off to make the active roster over some very good veterans and then claimed the QB2 spot, a role he has not since relinquished.

However, the bottom line is that the Bears' season is over if Bagent has to start more than two or three games. The drop in ability and talent from Williams to Bagent is steep, and I'm not sure there's anything Ben Johnson could do to overcome it, not with the other injuries already plaguing the team.

In his limited starts in 2023, Bagent showcased limited arm strength, slow processing, and inconsistent accuracy. He threw twice as many interceptions as touchdowns, and the Bears' offense struggled to even pick up a single first down on any given drive. He may have improved since then, and it must be mentioned that he was working with a far inferior offensive play-caller than Ben Johnson, but it's hard to believe that he grew significantly since then, especially after seeing how that Bears-Vikings game ended.

Bears fans will have to hope and pray that Williams' injury is not as severe as it looked, but it sure didn't look good. A season that began with so much hope just one week ago when the Bears dropped 59 points on the Carolina Panthers suddenly stands on a knife's edge.

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