Why is Tyson Bagent not starting vs Eagles? Reason behind Case Keenum as Bears QB1 explained

By Sohail Khan 29 September 2026, 5:43 am

Although Tyson Bagent entered the season as Chicago's No. 2 quarterback, the Bears have opted to start veteran Case Keenum against the Eagles.

Updated on: Sep 29, 2026, 06:07:55 IST

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The Chicago Bears will face the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football without Caleb Williams, leaving the team to turn to one of its backup quarterbacks for the Week 3 matchup.

Although Tyson Bagent entered the season as Chicago's No. 2 quarterback, the Bears have opted to start veteran Case Keenum against the Eagles.

Why is Tyson Bagent not starting tonight?

The starting job had been a competition between Bagent and Keenum throughout the week, with Keenum ultimately getting the nod.

Bagent looked like the obvious option to step in for Williams, but his recent injury may have played a role in the Bears' decision. The 26-year-old suffered a concussion in last week's game and was limited in his participation during Chicago's practices throughout the week.

Even though Bagent has since cleared the concussion protocol, Keenum handled most of the team's preparation and was therefore chosen to start in Week 3. Bagent will remain available as Chicago's backup against the Eagles.

Bears adjust around Keenum

Ben Johnson is expected to adjust the Bears' offensive approach around Keenum's abilities, which could limit some of the potential Chicago would have with Williams at quarterback.

The 38-year-old has not started an NFL game since the 2023 season, when he made two starts for the Houston Texans.

His start against Philadelphia will also represent the seventh different NFL team he has started for. Keenum's most recent start came on Dec. 24, 2023, when Houston faced Cleveland, meaning 1,009 days will have passed since he last opened an NFL game.

With such a long gap between starts, there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding what he can produce. Over 11 active NFL seasons, Keenum has accumulated 15,175 passing yards, along with 79 touchdowns and 51 interceptions.

Keenum owns strong record against Fangio

Keenum does, however, have a favorable history against Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Quarterbacks led by Keenum have gone 3-0 in three games against Fangio-coached defenses, although Keenum entered as a replacement rather than a starter in their first meeting in 2017.