Chicago Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent has been diagnosed with a concussion and placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol, leaving the team’s quarterback situation in flux ahead of Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Bagent is dealing with the injury.
“Bears QB Tyson Bagent is dealing with a concussion and is in the NFL’s concussion protocol, sources say,” Rapoport wrote on X. “With Caleb Williams likely out with a hamstring injury, Case Keenum could be the starter vs the Eagles.”
The news arrived two days after starter Caleb Williams suffered a right hamstring injury while scrambling in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. Williams was carted off after a non-contact play on first-and-goal from the six-yard line.
Bagent entered and completed five of nine passes for 54 yards. He drove Chicago to the Vikings’ 12-yard line in the final minute before Dallas Turner sacked him on the last play of the game. Some observers questioned whether the takedown should have drawn a flag.
Coach Ben Johnson said Monday that Williams is week-to-week and is not expected to practice this week, though he has not been ruled out for the Sept. 28 matchup.
“We’ll see where he’s at as the week progresses and how long that means,” Johnson said, “but it was somewhat encouraging, the report that we got, so I’ll leave it there.”
Johnson added that Williams “is a little bit different than the average human being” and “gets back — or he has in the past — a lot faster than what people anticipate.” Reports indicated the MRI showed no major structural damage, with some describing a Grade 1 strain.
Bagent must now clear the league’s five-step return-to-participation protocol, which includes rest, light aerobic work, football-specific exercise, non-contact drills and final clearance by team doctors and an independent neurological consultant. The Bears have an extra day before kickoff, but teams have grown cautious with head injuries in recent seasons.
The injuries compound a sharp drop-off for Chicago’s offense. The Bears scored 59 points in a Week 1 win at Carolina, with Williams throwing for two touchdowns and running for two more. Against Minnesota in rainy conditions, they managed only a field goal and went 0-for-3 in the red zone.
Williams completed 15 of 26 passes for 138 yards and an interception before exiting. He is 36 of 55 for 407 yards, two touchdowns and one interception through two games. Bagent, an undrafted free agent from Division II Shepherd University, went 2-2 as a starter in 2023 and signed a two-year, $10 million extension in 2025.
If neither Williams nor Bagent is available, 38-year-old Case Keenum would start. The 14-year veteran last started in 2023 with Houston and is best known for leading the Vikings to the 2017 NFC Championship Game, including the Minneapolis Miracle. He has 66 career starts and career totals of 15,175 passing yards, 79 touchdowns and 51 interceptions.
Right guard Jonah Jackson expressed confidence in the remaining quarterbacks.
“It’s definitely great to know your brother is going to be alright, but we got two other guys in that room that are fully capable of doing that job,” Jackson said. “No other guy to have them ready than Ben Johnson. So, we’ll be alright.”
The Eagles enter at 2-0 after close wins over Washington and Tennessee. Philadelphia is a slight road favorite for the 8:15 p.m. ET game on ESPN and ABC. Chicago is 1-1.
Bagent said after Sunday’s loss that he felt ready if called upon.
“I have a good team around me, great coaching staff. Ready to roll,” he said at the time. That plan is now on hold while he works through protocol.
Johnson will monitor both quarterbacks throughout the week. Practice reports and official injury designations later in the week will clarify whether Keenum, a longtime emergency option, is pressed into a starting role against one of the NFC’s early contenders.
