The Chicago Bears will hope to usher in a new era of quarterback excellence under first-year head coach Ben Johnson during the 2025 NFL season.
Johnson's goal is to rip the Bears' offense "down to the studs" and rebuild it around No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, whom he and the franchise believe they can mold into a high-level quarterback capable of helping them contend for a title.
While the focus is on Williams, though, the Bears will also expectedly have a battle for the No. 2 quarterback job behind him ahead of the 2025 season.
In his April 10 mailbag, The Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs weighed in on whether the Bears will have an "open competition" between Tyson Bagent and newly signed veteran Case Keenum for the backup role behind Williams in 2025.
The Bears signed Keenum — a 37-year-old with 66 career starts — to a one-year contract on April 4 with plans to have him help mentor Williams. Biggs, however, fully expects Keenum will get a fair shot at winning the No. 2 job from Bagent.
"One thing I expect from Ben Johnson and the new coaching staff is more legitimate competition for jobs — all over the place," Biggs wrote Thursday.
"A fresh set of eyes from new coaches, especially if they can start the process with no preconceived notions, should create real competition, and of course, that should extend to the No. 2 quarterback job. Bagent or Keenum should have to win that spot behind Caleb Williams."
Bagent has served as the Bears' backup quarterback in each of the past two seasons, winning the job against the odds as an undrafted rookie in 2023. He also started four games as an injury replacement as a rookie, completing 65.1% of his passes (84 of 129) with four total touchdowns and five interceptions.
Up to this point, though, Bagent has not needed to fend off a challenge from a veteran with significant starting experience in the league.
Keenum has thrown for 79 touchdowns and more than 15,000 yards throughout his 11-year journeyman career. During that time, he has been the primary starter in two seasons — with Minnesota in 2017 and Denver in 2018.
Beyond his on-field work, Keenum has also shown he is willing to play the mentor role that the Bears want on their roster, doing so for the Houston Texans and former No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud in each of the past two seasons.
Bagent is likely the better long-term fit for the Bears given the age disparity, but a real competition with Keenum in 2025 could help crystalize that for him.
