The Chicago Bears have started 0-2. They have now lost 12 of their last 13 games. Blame is getting thrown around left and right. Caleb Williams is at the heart of it. On the surface, the young quarterback is far down the list of this team's biggest problems. Their defense is a complete sieve, and they still can't run the ball. That said, the quarterback is the one player who dictates team success more than any other. Williams has six victories in 19 games. Part of the problem is his general lack of efficiency. While he can produce some incredible big plays, he doesn't seem as able to keep the team in advantageous down and distances. That is why the Tyson Bagent buzz hasn't gone away.
Chicago's backup may not have Williams' raw talent, but he appears to understand the game on a deeper level. He thinks it at a high level. That is why some have wondered if head coach Ben Johnson might be tempted to make a change if Williams doesn't clean things up. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN dropped a bombshell on that front in a new column. It appears people inside the building felt Bagent operated the offense better than Williams. It doesn't mean a change is imminent. Johnson is willing to be patient.
However, the leash might be shorter than people realize.
Fowler: Yeah, we hit that Giants' QB outlook hard last week; it's worth watching. Otherwise, the NFL's quarterback picture is pretty clear, so I'll throw two NFC North wild cards out there.
What if the Bears' Caleb Williams doesn't find his footing in Ben Johnson's timing-and-rhythm passing game by, say, Week 10? I think Williams showed positive signs in Sunday's loss in Detroit. But the feeling coming out of camp was that, despite Williams' otherworldly talent, the offense was a bit crisper with Tyson Bagent running the huddle. Is Johnson willing to be patient here? I think so. And Williams' immense talent is a commodity worth betting on. But these coaches feel pressure to win -- three-year grace periods no longer exist -- and Johnson didn't draft Williams. Just thinking out loud.
Tyson Bagent may have already seen this coming.
It was always slightly puzzling that the young quarterback opted to take a contract extension from the Bears. People felt he would've had a chance to go somewhere else to compete for a starting job next offseason. Electing to stay put sent one of two signals.
- He's not confident he is ready yet.
- He believes there is a real chance he will see the field at some point in Chicago.
The first option doesn't sound like Tyson Bagent at all. Self-confidence is something he's always had. He carries himself like a starter, even if he's willing to play the backup role. Accepting a two-year extension to make sure he stays put feels more like a calculated gamble that Johnson will give him a look at some point. Williams controls how this will go. If he keeps improving, this storyline will never materialize. Still, it sounds like the possibility is very much there.
