Former QB Confirms The Big Tyson Bagent Rumor

Something seemed off Monday night. Caleb Williams didn't have a bad game. His numbers were solid. No turnovers. Yet it didn't feel like the type of game he should've had with Ben Johnson as his new coach. There were too many inaccurate passes and too many times when it felt like he passed up easy completions searching for bigger plays. Many of the same problems followed him in his rookie year, and head coach Ben Johnson sometimes looked visibly frustrated. People who know him were left wondering how long he'd tolerate Williams playing like that. There were even conversations about whether backup Tyson Bagent might get a look sooner than people think.

Such an idea was quickly dismissed. Williams is so talented. Abandoning him after one game is foolish. This is true. The Bears will maintain the course with him for a while yet. Still, at least one person sees problems. Former quarterback Tim Jenkins knows Williams and is familiar with Bagent. The Bears' backup is not wired the typical way. He believes in his heart that he is a starter. The fact that he chose to re-sign in Chicago anyway was telling. It is possible there is some belief that Johnson will turn to him eventually. Jenkins revealed this thinking on Hoge & Jahns.

Tyson Bagent plays the way Johnson prefers.

He is primarily a pocket passer who diagnoses the defense pre-snap and knows where to go with the ball. He's on time and accurate with his throws. The only knock on him to this point has been a general lack of arm strength. Williams has him beat comfortably in that category, along with athleticism. Teams always prefer to bet on the greater talent. However, playing quarterback in the NFL has been proven time and time again to be a game between the ears. It is evident Tyson Bagent sees and thinks the game at a high level. He's a tireless worker who obsesses over the playbook and film study.

This is not to say Williams doesn't work hard. Everybody around him has said he does. Unfortunately, some players don't have the processing speed necessary to juggle all the information between pre- and post-snap. Johnson had that type of player in Detroit with Jared Goff, and the offense ripped defenses to shreds. At some point, the head coach might be willing to sacrifice talent to run the system how he wants.

One cannot understate how important the next four or five weeks are. If Williams continues showing limited progress, Johnson may consider going to Bagent.