If you haven't noticed by now, the whispers are out there. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson are trying to work through some ongoing issues in the Chicago Bears' new offense. Nothing significant has happened yet to think there might be a change. However, people inside the league believe it is only a matter of time. Williams has plenty of talent and potential. The problem is that his style of play doesn't mesh well with Johnson's offense. He is at his best off-script, improvising big plays on the fly. Johnson's offense is heavily schemed and requires the quarterback to stay on time and in rhythm. That is why some believe Tyson Bagent will eventually see the field.
He has demonstrated a greater ability to handle that classic style of playing from the pocket and distributing the football. However, it goes deeper than that. According to insider Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, Johnson is a big fan of Bagent, both for his natural feel for the position and the work he puts in.
Multiple sources tell me that Johnson loves backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, who signed a two-year contract extension at the end of camp in August. In a report I did on the Chicago Bears just a few weeks ago and before the extension was signed, I mentioned that people close to the organization said the backup quarterback looked better than Williams during camp on numerous occasions. Bagent does everything Johnson wants in his offense and, more than anything else, brings the structure the head coach demands when the Bears have the ball.
Sources tell me there is a good chance Bagent gets on the field this season if Williams does not consistently play at a high level, if nothing more than give the former first pick of the draft a chance to reset from the sidelines and watch what’s happening on the field.
The leash on Williams is short.
It feels like Johnson is just waiting for him to stumble. That might not be entirely the case, but it's clear some frustration exists with the quarterback's lack of progress. If Bagent could pick up the offense so quickly, why can't Williams?
Tyson Bagent will get his opportunity for one of two reasons.
Technically, it's three with Williams getting hurt, but that doesn't mean much for the grander scale. The first possibility is that Caleb doesn't play well. He remains mired around average and doesn't take any clear step towards good or even competent. The offense remains stuck in the mud, still not clicking like it should. The other possibility is that the Bears keep losing. If they start the season 0-6 or 0-7, Johnson may reach a point where he feels something must be done to give the team a jolt.
Turning to Tyson Bagent would certainly qualify. At that point, there would be nothing left to lose, and the Bears would be out of the playoff picture. Switching quarterbacks to see if Bagent can get something going would provide some answers about what the team should do next offseason. This scenario won't happen for a while. Smart money says to keep an eye on the end of October and beginning of November.
