Case Keenum Tyson Bagent Trade Bears Trade Bears Quarterbacks
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Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent.
The Chicago Bears might have just dropped a strong hint about whether they will trade backup quarterback Tyson Bagent with their latest free-agent signing.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears are re-signing veteran quarterback Case Keenum to a two-year, $5.5 million contract that has a maximum value of $8 million in a move that locks down their No. 3 option behind starter Caleb Williams and Bagent.
Keenum signed with the Bears in 2025 to serve as their third-string quarterback and to provide veteran mentorship for Williams, the franchise’s starter and former No. 1 pick. While he did not play a snap in 2025, he has made 66 NFL starts since the 2013 season.
“Keenum has been invaluable for the growth of Caleb Williams,” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin wrote on X in a quote of Schefter’s original report. “Keeping him in the fold was a top priority for the Bears.”
Keenum has been invaluable for the growth of Caleb Williams. Keeping him in the fold was a top priority for the Bears. https://t.co/HIZN1YoS7N
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) March 9, 2026
Keenum could once again serve as the Bears’ QB3 in 2026, but the two-season length of his contract suggests that Chicago might be listening to reported trade calls on Bagent.
Bears Receiving Trade Interest in QB Tyson Bagent
Trade rumblings about Bagent began in February when John Gambadoro, a veteran radio host in the Phoenix area, reported that the Arizona Cardinals were “intrigued” about the possibility of making a trade to acquire the Bears’ former UDFA gem.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson then confirmed at the 2026 NFL Combine that they had received “a few calls” about Bagent’s availability.
“We’ve gotten a few calls there. Obviously, the tough thing is what Ben thinks about Tyson, what I think about Tyson, what our locker room thinks about Tyson,” Poles said in February. “That’s a really tough decision for us. But for Tyson as well, I think he would have the opportunity to go perform for a team and do some really good things. But again, you have to weigh the short-term and long-term.”
Bagent has not played extensive snaps, but he did start four games in 2023 when Justin Fields missed time with an injury, completing 84-of-129 passes for 776 yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions. He also delivered an impressive preseason in 2025, throwing for 511 yards, five touchdowns and a pick with just 69 total passing attempts.
While that makes him valuable to the Bears as potential insurance for Williams, though, the deal for Keenum makes him the only quarterback heading into the final year of his contract in 2026 — and potentially expendable in the eyes of Chicago’s front office.
Bears Could Seek Day 2 Draft Pick for Tyson Bagent
If there is a trade market for Bagent, it should materialize fairly quickly after the first wave of NFL free-agent signings are in the books — namely at the quarterback spot.
Some teams with quarterback needs have solutions figured out. The Las Vegas Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick and will expectedly select Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in April. The Miami Dolphins also agreed to terms with former Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis on a three-year, $67.5 million deal in the first few hours of legal tampering.
For the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Cardinals, though, the options are few and shrinking at the quarterback position, which could make a Bagent trade appealing.
So, what might the Bears fetch in a Bagent trade? The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs believes that, due to the love for Bagent in the building, it would take a Day 2 pick.
“It probably would take a second-round pick (or two picks equaling that value) to make it worthwhile for the Bears,” Biggs wrote.
With Keenum locked down, the Bears may take a lower return than a second-rounder, especially with Poles’ penchant for trying to do right by his players. For Bagent, a trade to a team with an open quarterback competition would likely be his best-case scenario.