Former USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss is back in the NFL conversation this weekend, and he’s doing it alongside the teammate he once backed up on the Coliseum sideline.
The Chicago Bears signed Moss to their practice squad Saturday and immediately elevated him for Sunday’s season opener at Carolina. The move gives the Bears a familiar emergency option while backup Tyson Bagent deals with a back injury.
Moss spent four seasons at USC from 2021 to 2024 before transferring to Louisville for his final college year. In 2024 he started nine games for the Trojans, completing 233 of 362 passes for 2,555 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He shared a quarterback room with Caleb Williams at USC. Now the two are together again in Chicago, with Williams the established starter and Moss the newest insurance policy.
Bagent practiced Tuesday, then appeared on the injury report Wednesday with a back problem. He did not practice the rest of the week and was listed as questionable Friday.
Bagent is still traveling with the team to Charlotte. The decision to add Moss nevertheless points toward Bagent sitting out Sunday.
Coach Ben Johnson said Friday the Bears would be “fine” if they had to rely on third-stringer Case Keenum. Keenum has thrown only 60 regular-season passes since the end of the 2021 season.
If Bagent is inactive, Moss would serve as the third quarterback behind Williams and Keenum. Standard elevations return players to the practice squad after the game.
Moss signed with Chicago as an undrafted free agent this spring and spent the entire offseason and training camp with the Bears. The organization already knew his work habits from those months.
After leaving USC he started all 12 games at Louisville in 2025, completing 244 of 380 passes for 2,679 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Cardinals finished 9-4.Bagent missed a preseason game against Cincinnati and the joint practices that week after a hamstring injury in the opener. He returned for the preseason finale before the back issue surfaced.
The Bears also elevated receiver Kaden Davis from the practice squad. Davis caught five passes for 93 yards in the preseason, including four receptions for 88 yards against Cleveland.
To create a practice-squad spot for Moss, Chicago released safety Keidron Smith. League rules required the Bears to file the moves before leaving Halas Hall on Saturday.
Sunday’s game kicks off at 1 p.m. Eastern at Bank of America Stadium. Chicago is a 3-point favorite.
Williams threw for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, leading the Bears to an 11-6 record, the NFC North title and their first playoff win since 2010. A former No. 1 overall pick who also came through USC, he is the clear starter.
For USC fans tracking former Trojans, Moss’s elevation is a reminder that development paths rarely stay linear. He waited behind Williams in college, transferred, then earned another look in the same building.
Whether Moss takes a snap Sunday is uncertain. The Bears simply wanted another quarterback who already knows the building and the starter.
The moves show Chicago is preparing for the possibility that Bagent cannot go. For a former Trojan who once shared a huddle with Williams, it is another chance to stay in the league.
