There’s zero drama in the Chicago Bears quarterback room this season, which is exactly what we want. Last year, head coach Ben Johnson showed us how he wants his QB room to shape up, and with all three players back, it’ll be business as usual.
Roster Locks
Caleb Williams is on the cusp of something special. Most of our fans feel it. Fans of the Vikings, Lions, and especially the Packers feel it, which is why they spend so much time online talking about him. The NFL feels it, which is why he’s been one of their
most marketed players. And his peers feel it, which is why he was voted number 51 of the Top 100 Players list.
He was so good in 2025, while still having so much more room to grow. And that’s not lost on him.
“There’s so much to unlock,” he said via the team site, “there’s so much to get better at, there’s so much left of ball for me and us and accolades that we’ll have as a team.”
He’s paired with a like-minded head coach in Ben Johnson, and their parallel drive for greatness is exactly what you want from the QB/head coach relationship.
His backup is Tyson Bagent, and I’m so glad the silliness around him has died down, because he’s a good football player. He hasn’t taken a meaningful rep since his rookie year, but the quality tape he put together during each preseason, plus the coaching he’s received from Ben and the Bears’ offensive staff, could land him an even bigger payday (he inked a 2-year, $10 million deal last year) when he’s a free agent in 2028.
Johnson bringing in Case Keenum to be a veteran presence in the room paid dividends.
In January, during the week the Bears were preparing to play the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs, Ben spoke about what Keenum meant to their 2026 season.
From Nicholas Moreano’s social media.
“He’s been an integral part of what we’ve done. He’s been tremendous in terms of Caleb’s growth. That was really the thought process of bringing him in, a guy with skins on the wall. He’s played in big games himself at a high level. He’s won big games. He’s lost big games. His experience has been something that all these young players can really lean into, particularly in weeks like this, where you come off an emotional win and yet you’ve got to turn your sights onto the next page pretty quickly.
The vision we had bringing him in, it’s been pretty incredible. I give Ryan (Poles) a lot of credit for that. As we’re talking about, in the springtime, how do we best help our young quarterback grow and develop? Case’s name came up pretty quickly in that process, and it’s just been a phenomenal fit. I know if he ever needed to play, I know he could still play at a high level too. We see that every day at practice as well.”
This is a strong quarterback room, and one analyst recently ranked Chicago’s backup situation the sixth-best in the NFL.
“While he’s seen minimal work over the last couple of seasons, Bagent was solid in a four-game stretch as the starter in 2023,” wrote CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan a couple of days ago. “He led Chicago to a 2-2 record while completing 65.1% of his passes, totaling four touchdowns (three passing and one rushing) and five interceptions. Along with Bagent, the Bears have Case Keenum, who has over a decade of league experience, including 66 regular-season starts. His best season game in 2017 when he went 11-3 as the starter for Minnesota in the regular season and helped them advance to the NFC Championship after the Minneapolis Miracle. His most recent starts came back over two weeks in 2023 as a member of the Texans. He completed 64.2% of his passes, but had just one passing touchdown to three interceptions. While Bagent would be the first man up after Williams, having Keenum as a third option isn’t too shabby, given his experience.
A Good Bet To Make It
See above…
Roster Bubble/Practice Squad
If the Bears carry three on the active roster, that leaves little room for a fourth on the practice squad. However, with Keenum being 38 years old, maybe UDFA Miller Moss catches Ben Johnson’s eye, and they decide his upside is worth sticking around.
“His tape popped off,” Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor said about Moss via FOX32. “This is a player that can play on time, that can be an accurate passer, that can win from the pocket, and has enough ability to move around when need be. You just saw a poise. You see an experienced guy that played a lot of football. The way he operates in the huddle, the way he operates in the meeting room, it is all stuff that we heard from the coaches that have worked with him in the past in college.”
Regardless of what happens in Chicago, Moss, who was Caleb’s backup at USC for two years, will do his best to put some good tape together during the preseason.
Give us your thoughts on the Bears’ QB room?
