Case Keenum Tyson Bagent Bears Quarterbacks Bears Backup QB
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Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent.
Chicago Bears veteran quarterback Case Keenum fully intends to compete with Tyson Bagent for the backup quarterback job ahead of the 2025 NFL season, but his desire to challenge Bagent has not diminished his high opinion of the third-year quarterback and what Keenum believes he can accomplish in his career.
Keenum spoke with the media at Wednesday’s OTAs for the first time since he signed his one-year contract with the Bears on April 4, detailing how he nearly retired before a meeting with head coach Ben Johnson changed his mind and brought him to Chicago.
During an insightful exchange with a reporter, Keenum also confirmed that he did not ask for any “assurances” from the team that he would have an opportunity to compete with Bagent for the No. 2 job behind starter Caleb Williams before signing his contract.
“I mean, I’ve competed my whole life, you know? I show up every day and hope my locker’s not cleaned out. That’s how I treat every day,” Keenum said. “I’ve competed my whole life. I have a knack of sticking around and being ready to go when my name is called, no matter when that is or how that is.”
The 37-year-old quarterback then spoke about Bagent — the Bears’ backup for the past two seasons — and made a bold prediction about his long-term future in the NFL.
“I think Tyson is going to play a long time in this league, I really do,” Keenum said. “He is very athletic, he’s trained and he is hungry. Man, he is one of the most well-prepared guys on that field every day, so I’m very impressed with him.”
Tyson Bagent Must Level Up Again for Bears in 2025
Bagent has passed several of his early-career NFL tests with flying colors. He won the top backup job behind Justin Fields as an undrafted rookie in 2023 and did what it took to hold onto his No. 2 job against a challenge from veteran Brett Rypien in 2024.
To achieve the longevity that Keenum envisions for him, though, Bagent will once again need to level up in 2025 to not only stave off a challenge from the vet but also enhance his reputation around the league before becoming a restricted free agent next offseason.
Fortunately for both him and Williams, the Bears have a better support system in place.
Once Johnson took the head-coaching job, he went to work building a new brain trust for his quarterbacks. He hired an array of assistants with different backgrounds, from offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and pass game coordinator Press Taylor to former Ohio State and NFL quarterback J.T. Barrett, who is Chicago’s new quarterbacks coach.
Keenum is also part of that leadership circle. The 37-year-old wants to act as more than a mentor for the Bears, but the wisdom he can impart from his 11 previous seasons in the NFL — with 66 career starts — should prove beneficial to his fellow quarterbacks.
So long as Bagent remains willing to learn, he should continue to grow in 2025.
Bears Likely to Keep 3 QBs on Roster for 2025 Season
Keenum will spend the next few months pushing Bagent for his backup job, but he will likely still have a place on the Bears’ 53-man roster even if he winds up as their No. 3.
According to Over the Cap, the Bears signed Keenum to a one-year, $2.25 million deal that included $2.15 million in guaranteed money. If the team envisioned him simply as a short-term mentor for their quarterbacks and a training camp body, they would have likely not guaranteed such a high percentage of his contract when they brought him in.
Knowing the structure of his contract, it seems more likely than not that the Bears plan to keep three quarterbacks on their active roster in 2025 unless something catastrophic happens that removes one of them from the running. They could stash Keenum on the practice squad to keep him in the room, but it would expose him to outside poaching.
Of course, the Bears still could part ways with Keenum if they reach the end of camp and decide he is not as desirable a fit as they once believed. The Bears would need to eat $1.345 million in dead money to release him, but it is a drop in the bucket if they firmly believe giving his roster spot to someone else — even at another position — is justified.
Nevertheless, the most likely outcome is that Williams, Bagent and Keenum all make the 53-man roster with Austin Reed occupying the No. 4 role on the practice squad.