Tyson Bagent’s line against the Jets may look tidy enough at first glance, but the Bears’ quarterback picture only got messier after a 3-1 start that has now come with three different starters in four games.
Chicago got the win in Week 4, and Bagent did have stretches where the offense moved with some ease. Ben Johnson also made life simpler for him at times with quick throws and easy completions. But the overall performance told a shakier story than the box score.
The clearest way to describe Bagent’s day is erratic. At times, he looked like he was operating as if every snap came with a free play attached, the kind of situation Bears fans know all too well from years of Aaron Rodgers making them pay for it. Several throws had the feel of backyard football, like he was firing away in a pickup game instead of running a clean NFL offense.
And the turnovers that didn’t count only made that impression worse.
Bagent technically finished with one interception, but he really flirted with disaster all afternoon. Three other throws that should have gone the other way were wiped out by Jets penalties. If those flags hadn’t bailed him out, the stat sheet would have looked a lot uglier.
That’s where the conversation gets uncomfortable for Chicago. If Bagent really does end up with four interceptions, does anyone seriously start talking about him against the Packers?
If just one of those picks stands and he finishes with two, the entire tone of the game changes. Even with an extra Jets field goal in that scenario, the Bears are still only escaping with a 23-15 win.
That’s the difference between a comfortable box score and a performance that forces real questions.
The Jets also don’t exactly profile as a powerhouse. The Eagles may have their issues, but they’re still a more talented team than New York, and Keenum looked much more confident running the offense against Philadelphia than Bagent did against the Jets.
Maybe this ends up being nothing more than a useful learning experience for Bagent - a chance to get his feet wet, study the film, and come back sharper. Maybe that’s enough heading into Green Bay.
But this is Packers week.
And in Bears-Packers, the records and the reputations usually matter a lot less than the quarterback who gives you the best shot to win. That leaves Johnson with a decision he probably doesn’t love making.
In Other News...
Bizarre Soldier Field Incident Involving Bears Legend Raises Big Questions
After the Bears win over the Jets, a strange scene unfolded at Soldier Field involving former linebacker Otis Wilson near the suite-level elevators. Witnesses said Wilson got onto an elevator reserved for media even after being told not to, and the situation escalated into a scuffle with a female security worker in an area that usually stays well out of the postgame spotlight.
Wilson was later seen conscious and alert as staff helped him, and the Chicago Police Department said it had no calls or case reports tied to the incident. Even without an official report, the episode raised plenty of questions about what happened in the hallway after the game and why a routine postgame flow turned physical. [Read more 🡒]
DAndre Swift Just Got A Bears Warning He Couldnt Ignore
DAndre Swifts Week 4 afternoon against the Jets turned into a reminder that production only goes so far if ball security becomes a problem. Swift was pulled after a fumble, with Roschon Johnson stepping in and handling most of the carries from there, and even as head coach Ben Johnson downplayed the idea that the mistake sent Swift to the sideline, the sequence made the message hard to miss.
Swift has still put together strong rushing numbers early in the season, but the Bears cannot keep ignoring the turnovers if they keep showing up. With Johnson getting more work and the backfield role suddenly looking less settled, Swifts margin for error is shrinking fast unless he cleans up the issue that put his playing time in question. [Read more 🡒]
Bears 3-1 Start Is Hiding A Few Troubling Roster Signs
A 3-1 start has given the Bears plenty to feel good about, but a few of the roster decisions underneath that record are looking less tidy by the week. As the season moved past Week 4, attention started to shift toward several players who are set to hit free agency in 2027, and not all of them are helping their case. Tyrique Stevenson has had trouble holding up in coverage, while Roschon Johnson has at least been able to carve out some playing time in the offense.
There are other warning signs, too, and they reach beyond one side of the ball. Clark Phillips III, acquired in a trade, still has not seen defensive snaps, and Garrett Bradbury has continued to deal with challenges up front on the offensive line. For a team trying to build on an encouraging start, the broader picture is starting to suggest that some of these names may not be around next season, even if the standings remain strong in the short term. [Read more 🡒]