Bear Digest

Sharpest player in the Bears QB room might not be Caleb Williams

If it comes down to measuring players' ability to pick up the Ben Johnson offense, the starter could fall short compared to another QB in Chicago.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tyson Bagent's Command of Ben Johnson's Offense
Tyson Bagent's Command of Ben Johnson's Offense

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Chicago Bears

If the Bears are entertaining thoughts about going with two quarterbacks on their roster rather than three, it comes down to a difficult choice.

They could be cutting their experience factor in Case Keenum, a player with 66 career starts and a playoff win. Or they could be cutting possibly the brains of the quarterback room and a potential starter at some point in Tyson Bagent.

Bagent has been impressive throughout training camp with his command of the offense and ability to deliver the ball in time to backups against the backup defenders. He's been good enough at picking up Ben Johnson's offense that even Keenum is marveling at it.

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"I think Tyson's having a really, really good camp," Keenum said. "I think he's made a step forward from the spring. He's picking up this offense excellent. He is sharp. He is really, really smart."

How smart?

Game show smart.

"We try to stump the Schwab with him in there in the QB room," Keenum said, referring to the old ESPN game show. "Him and Austin (Reed) and Caleb, we try to stump each other and, man, we can't ever get him.

"He knows the playbook like the back of his hand. I've been very impressed with him. He's athletic, and haven't even really see him probably do what he's really, really good at in escaping rush, making plays outside the pocket. During practice, it's been a lot of within-the-pocket, within-the-timing of the play, making some really accurate plays down the field. I think he's gonna play a long time in this league."

It probably should surprise no one that Bagent is quickly becoming an expert on the Johnson offense. He's in his third season now and at this point he feels he understands he league.

"I feel like it's probably right on time too," he said. "I don't know how sharp I would have been in this offense in my rookie season. But I think with just the limited experience that I do have, and the limited amount of action and reps in practice through the years, it has helped me kind of be ready for the kind of boatload of information that's going on right now."

If Bagent likes the offense and how it's dispensed, he also feels he's developing a good relationship with Johnson.

"Just really for me, it’s simple," he said of his coach. "There’s no BSing going on right now. Which I’m not really much–I like to have as much fun as I possibly can outside of this building, but when I’m here, I’m pretty much full steam ahead, what are we going to do today, what are we going to accomplish, and looking at him.

"Whether it’s getting a play from him, talking to him between plays, he’s right there with me intensity-wise, which is all you can ask for from a head coach."

Taking that relationship and the way he's picking up the attack goes beyond vying for the backup job a step further to seeing him as a potential starter might be going too far. At least it would be for the Bears right now.

"I know it’s a backup job in this league," Bagent said. "It’s different than a lot of other jobs, sports jobs especially.

"So, for me, nothing really changes. Got to stay ready and stay on top of it, keep leaning forward, leaning into the guys and stay ready when your number is called."

The Bears have had only one quarterback since 2009 who played an entire season, so the odds are at some point Bagent or Keenum could wind up playing.

Then again, the quarterback who did play that one full season since 2009 was Williams as a rookie.

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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.