Tyson Bagent
Getty
Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum are both taking QB2 snaps for the Chicago Bears.
New Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson wasn’t joking around when he said every position on the team’s roster was going to have to be earned.
“If you want to play, you’ve got to go earn it. If you want a role, you’ve got to go earn it,” Johnson said back in April, via the team’s official website.
As the Bears begin their offseason program, this is true even in the QBs room, as incumbent backup Tyson Bagent and veteran free agent addition Case Keenum are both vying for QB2 duties behind Caleb Williams. Bagent in particular has been the subject of everything from trade rumors to being a candidate for a contract extension, so both QBs taking second-team snaps seemingly confirms there’s a competition.
With the team’s organized team activities (OTAs), kicking off on May 20, multiple analysts and insiders noted both quarterbacks were taking second-team snaps. Keenum’s extensive experience and obvious leadership qualities contrast a bit with Bagent’s youth and moxie, so it should be, as Zack Pearson of Bear Report noted, “something to watch.”
A Look at the Chicago Bears Backup QB Competition Between Tyson Bagent & Case Keenum
Case Keenum, Minnesota Vikings
GettyVeteran QB Case Keenum brings 11 years of NFL experience to his competition with Tyson Bagent.
After going undrafted in 2023, Bagent signed with the Bears and quickly made an impression. Over the course of his rookie season, he appeared in five games, starting four. He went 2-2 in those starts, completing 94-of-143 passes for 859 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions.
He showed uncanny poise and adaptability for an UDFA, and that ultimately earned him a spot as the primary backup quarterback for the Bears heading into 2024 when they took Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.
Keenum brings a wealth of experience to the Bears, having played for seven different teams over his 11-year career. His most memorable year came in 2017, when he led the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship Game, highlighted by the memorable “Minneapolis Miracle” play. Keenum’s career stats include 15,175 passing yards, 79 touchdowns and 51 interceptions over 80 games, with 66 starts.
Keenum’s role is going to be different than Bagent’s in that it will extend beyond on-field performance. His experience is going to seen as a resource for Johnson and the rest of the staff, as he can provide mentorship to both Williams and Bagent.
Having spent the 2023 season with the Houston Texans, Keenum is more than a tad familiar with supporting young QBs, having mentored C.J. Stroud during his rookie year. He should be a key figure for both Williams and Bagent when it comes to learning how to watch film, read defenses, and so on.
All 3 QBs Have a New Offense to Learn, So Expect Growing Pains
Top 3 Takeaways from Bears OTA 5-21-25:
1. Ben Johnson is intense. Screamed at Cole Kmet for what appeared to be lining up incorrectly.
2. Caleb Williams did not have his best day. Ball came out slow at times, off the mark.
3. Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent both got #2 reps.
— Mark Carman (@thecarm) May 21, 2025
The real competition begins when training camp arrives and the pads go on, but with players on both sides of the ball learning new schemes, OTAs are the time for learning and experimentation. A good time to get the kinks out, so to speak.
“We’re making mistakes just like we thought we would,” Johnson said on May 21, via Bleacher Nation’s Luis Medina. “Second day of install here today and you could tell we had a little more mentals and pre-snap penalties and the little details kind of fell to the wayside. We’ll clean that up as we go.”
The new Bears coach also had encouraging things to say about how his squad looks physically.
“Conditioning wise, we’re bigger, we’re faster, we’re stronger as a team,” Johnson added. “And that was really the No. 1 objective we were looking to get done.”
Looking back at their QB rooms in recent years, the trio of Williams, Bagent and Keenum has more potential and experience than any previous group has had in a while, regardless of who wins the backup role. And that may wind up being a very good thing for the Bears.