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USA Today
15 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Bears QB Tyson Bagent explains how players have bought into Ben Johnson
Bears QB Tyson Bagent explains how players have bought into Ben Johnson There are still a few months to go until the new-look Chicago Bears take the field for a meaningful football game, but through mini camps and organized team activities, it's becoming clear the squad is buying into the new regime. Head coach Ben Johnson and his staff are instilling a new culture up at Halas Hall, and it seems everyone is on board with the plan—at least according to the longest-tenured quarterback on the team. Third-year signal caller Tyson Bagent joined Barstool Sports' "The Stretch" last week and discussed several topics, including the change from Matt Eberflus to the Johnson era. Bagent spoke glowingly of his new coach and the culture that is being put into place. He went as far as to say there is a collective buy-in from the players—something that he noticed wasn't always the case the previous two seasons. "There's not any gray area," Bagent said. "At least in the previous two years, you could tell that some people liked the staff and supported what was going on, and some people were not a fan. There's none of that [this year]. Everybody knows that we're getting coached well." Bagent's claims that there was a divide in the locker room during his two years under Eberflus aren't surprising considering how the culture crumbled during his tenure. Still, for a young quarterback to quickly see a good portion of the team had reservations about Eberflus' ability as a head coach shows how much the locker room had already been teetering. Even in 2023, when the Bears showed stretches of good play. Of course, Eberflus was ousted last November, and the new staff put in place has a different way of doing things, which Bagent appreciates. "I think everybody is like, 'Hey, I need to handle my end of this bargain and show up every day and put the work in.' They will get in your face, they will get on you, and be very open about it, which is the only way to be, I think." Based on the observations that took place during OTAs and mini camp, Johnson's not shy about letting players know when they're screwing up the details. Bagent seems to welcome the tough love, and it sounds like the rest of the locker room agrees. Hopefully, the coaching continues to resonate well into the season, and the Bears can return to relevancy.
USA Today
07-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL draft preview: Where do Chicago Bears stand at quarterback?
2025 NFL draft preview: Where do Chicago Bears stand at quarterback? The Chicago Bears are in the middle of an important offseason, where they're looking to develop into a contender under new head coach Ben Johnson. Following a busy free agency that included some big-name additions, including offensive linemen Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman, as well as defensive linemen Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo, the Bears are shifting their focus toward the 2025 NFL draft. Chicago has seven draft picks, even after their two trades, including four in the Top 75 -- 10th overall, a pair of high second rounders and a third-round selection. Here at Bears Wire, we're going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2025 NFL draft. First up is quarterback, where the Bears don't have to worry about quarterback with Caleb Williams entering Year 2. Who's on the roster? Caleb Williams Case Keenum Tyson Bagent Austin Reed Things were as bad as you can imagine for the Bears last season, and it was a chaotic environment for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. Still, the No. 1 pick thrived amid a 10-game losing streak, his head coach being fired, three different offensive coordinators and being sacked a league-high 68 times. Williams broke several rookie franchise and NFL records during a 5-12 season, where he led several game-winning drives that were halted due to poor coaching decisions. What we saw from Williams in his rookie season is certainly the floor, and his ceiling under new head coach Ben Johnson is sky high. Case Keenum is the newest addition to the roster, and his primary role will be as a mentor to Williams in his second season. Keenum is a journeyman quarterback with stops with the Houston Texans (2023-24, 2014, 2012-13), Buffalo Bills (2022), Cleveland Browns (2020-21), Washington Redskins (2019), Denver Broncos (2018), Minnesota Vikings (2017) and Los Angeles Rams (2015-16, 2014). He most recently served as a mentor for C.J. Stroud in Houston. Tyson Bagent is entering his third season where he's served as the backup in his first two years, although he'll have to battle Keenum for the job this summer. While Bagent isn't a seasoned veteran like some current backups or pending free agents, Brett Rypien said on "Hard Knocks" that Bagent was as experienced as you'd see for a second-year player. Now getting a chance to learn under Johnson and his staff, Bagent should only improve. The Bears signed Austin Reed as an undrafted rookie out of Kentucky, and he spent the entire 2024 season on the practice squad. He showed promise as the fourth quarterback last summer, but he left an impression and was retained on the practice squad, a role he's expected to occupy once again in 2025. Who departed this offseason? None The Bears lacked a veteran presence at quarterback in the locker room during Caleb Williams' rookie season, where second-year pro Tyson Bagent served as his backup and undrafted rookie Austin Reed spent the entire season on the practice squad. But there were no quarterbacks who departed in the offseason. Positional need: Low It's always reassuring when quarterback isn't a concern, and that has everything to do with Caleb Williams' promising rookie season (amid chaos) and his ceiling with new head coach Ben Johnson. Williams is entering his first season where he'll have a full offseason to prepare as the starter, where he'll have an opportunity to further his chemistry with receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, as well as tight end Cole Kmet. Williams will be learning his second offense in as many seasons, which isn't ideal. But if Johnson proves to be the long-term answer, it won't matter as he'll be the one to hopefully unlock Williams as the team's franchise quarterback and get the Bears back on a winning track. Chicago also made an important move to add a veteran like Keenum to the quarterback room, and he'll serve as another mentor for Williams. Top draft prospects Cam Ward, Miami Shedeur Sanders, Colorado Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss Jalen Milroe, Alabama Quinn Ewers, Texas It's a good thing the Bears were able to land Caleb Williams first overall in the 2024 NFL draft and don't have to worry about drafting a quarterback. Compared to last year, this isn't a particularly strong quarterback class, but Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are expected to go in the Top 10 given the teams in need of a quarterback. Ward feels like a lock for No. 1 while Sanders could land with the Cleveland Browns (No. 2), New York Giants (No. 3) or even fall further in the Top 10. Jaxson Dart is another compelling quarterback prospect, but there's a significant drop-off after Dart. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter and Facebook
