Key Chicago Bears offensive battle all but over after Buffalo Bills preseason drubbing

While it may have just been preseason play, the Chicago Bears put on a show against the Buffalo Bills and came away with an impressive 38-0 victory. There were plenty of standouts on Chicago’s side, but the team’s quarterback play drew arguably the most attention.

Bears fans got their first look at Caleb Williams playing under head coach Ben Johnson. That resulted in Chicago’s QB1 completing six-of-10 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Williams led the Bears on a 92-yard touchdown drive to open up the game.

After one more drive with the starters, the Bears turned to their second-string unit. Tyson Bagent was given an opportunity to shine, and he surely did, completing 13-of-22 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown. As it stands, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes Bagent has all but locked up the backup quarterback gig.

“Veteran Case Keenum missed the game with a leg injury, and if third-year man Tyson Bagent didn’t have the spot already secured, he locked it down,” Biggs wrote.

“Some have wondered if the Bears could potentially turn Bagent into a trade chip. Now? No way,” he continued. “For starters, another team would probably want to lean into regular-season performance to really feel motivated to make a move. But given the Bears quarterback history, if they’re potentially developing a homegrown undrafted talent, why in the world would they consider dealing him when so many teams, because of injuries, are forced to play with two quarterbacks during a season? It doesn’t add up at this point.”

Tyson Bagent poised to earn Chicago Bears QB2 role

With Case Keenum not playing due to his leg injury, it may be unfair to call the battle finished without him getting his rebuttals. But an 11-year NFL veteran, the Bears are well aware of what they have in Keenum. By having Bagent serve in the backup role, Chicago is ensuring they have a playmaking backup in place should Williams ever suffer an injury.

Of course, if everything goes to how the Bears are planning, Bagent wouldn’t see the field much in 2025 outside of kneel down scenarios. But teams like the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys have seen firsthand what happens if you don’t have a solid backup quarterback in place. Bagent may not yet have name brand value across the NFL, but he has certainly proven he can handle Johnson’s offense when called upon.

A former undrafted free agent from DII Shepherd University, it’s impressive enough that Bagent has been able to stick in the NFL. He even won a pair of games during the four starts he earned as a rookie. It’s clear there was a steep learning curve, as he threw for 859 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions. But Bagent at least knows what it’s like to be thrown into the fire.

From Week 3 of the preseason to however long the Bears’ season ends up going, all eyes will be on Williams. But if disaster were to strike, the pressure would all be thrown onto Bagent’s shoulders.