The season could not have started any better for the Chicago Bears. They won their season opener in historic fashion with 59 points and an MVP-caliber performance from their starting quarterback Caleb Williams. Week 2 proved how quickly things can change in the NFL.
Chicago lost against the Minnesota Vikings in the lowest-scoring game of the week with a final score of 9-3. Williams went down with a hamstring injury while attempting to score a rushing touchdown to take the lead against the Vikings. Backup quarterback Tyson Bagent finished the game for the Bears and was sacked on the final play of the game.
That sack proved to be costly. Bagent is now in concussion protocol, putting his status into question about the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday
night. Williams most likely will not play although he has not been officially ruled out. Therefore, the most likely scenario for Chicago at this point is that third-string quarterback Case Keenum will start against the Eagles.
For most teams, having their third-string quarterback start a game will put them at a significant disadvantage. While Keenum is not as effective as Williams, head coach Ben Johnson still has a lot of confidence in Keenum to get the job done.
"He’s been a baller from I think the day that he was born, from what I can tell," Johnson said. "He’s got that way about him. He’s got a knack, his teammates gravitate to him. In a lot of ways, he might be a step slower than when he first entered the league, and yet his mind is going too fast, it helps catch him on up. He’s playing as good of football as he probably has his whole career."
If Keenum gets the start, it will be the first game he starts in since Christmas Eve of 2023 where he lost to the Cleveland Browns as the quarterback for the Houston Texans. In the six games he has played on Monday, he has a 2-4 record.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson discusses confidence in Bears QB Case Keenum to start
