Bears Quarterback Decision Will Test Ben Johnson's Accountability Standard

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has always made it clear that the execution in practice and game tape will determine a player’s status on the roster. 

Those expectations reflect how most jobs work. Perform and you will be rewarded. Fail to meet expectations and someone else will get that opportunity and replace you. 

It’s not complicated. 

That should be the exact process Johnson takes for the quarterback position. Caleb Williams is trending toward returning to game action after missing the last three games because of a Grade 2 hamstring injury. In Wednesday’s estimated injury report after the team’s walk-through practice, Williams was listed as a full participant. 

When he’s healthy and ready to play, he’ll reclaim his starting status. Something the team is considering is the turnaround to Thursday Night Football following the Week 6 game against the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday. 

“In regards to the quarterback situation, a lot of things have gone through our minds,” Johnson said. “First and foremost, health is the number one priority for all three guys. I don't know that any of them are exactly 100% at this point in the season. That's something that we certainly look at, and we want whoever's out there to have a good rapport with the offensive line, with the operation and with our pass catchers. We want to make sure that we can get in a rhythm, which we weren't able to do last week as an offense. And so, sure, it all goes into account here. What do we need to do first and foremost for this week, and then the big picture view beyond that.”

Until Williams is officially back, though, Johnson is still trying to figure out the hierarchy of the quarterback depth chart. He was asked if he is planning for Williams to play this Sunday against the Falcons.

“Yeah, it's still fluid, but I feel good about the plan that we have in place at this point,” Johnson said. 

If by “fluid” Johnson means that Williams could potentially play if he avoids any setbacks for the rest of the week and is healthy, then that’s the correct approach. But if Johnson believes the situation is still “fluid” because he doesn’t know who will be his next man up at quarterback, then that’s a problem.

Veteran Case Keenum should start if Williams sits out this Sunday. How Tyson Bagent performed in the 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers is more than enough to validate why Keenum should be next in line at quarterback. 

Bagent completed 12 of 21 passes for 87 yards and was intercepted twice. He looked uneasy, passed potential completions and put the ball in harm’s way. Johnson benched him for Keenum in the fourth quarter.

Against the New York Jets the week before, Bagent played better, finishing with 268 passing yards and an interception. But he was fortunate that New York committed penalties, negating more turnovers. 

“So, we'll look at those [interceptions] and we'll learn from them and we'll keep it moving,” Johnson said on Monday. “He didn't make those issues or those same types of throws over the course of camp. So we're looking at those, talking to him about it, and we'll clean it up from there.”

This isn’t training camp anymore. The repercussions of a poor performance directly impact the team’s overall record, now at 3-2 and 0-2 in the NFC North. When Keenum came in to provide a spark against the Packers, the Bears were already down 31-7. 

That doesn’t excuse Keenum for throwing an interception and fumbling the football, but we’ve seen what he can do when he has a full week of practice. The Bears are 16 days removed from Keenum shredding the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, throwing for 247 passing yards, two touchdowns and scoring on a 1-yard run in the 27-7 win.  

Now, it’s not realistic to expect that type of performance if he gets another shot, but he was in command, distributed the football and committed zero turnovers in the Week 3 victory. That game should factor in how the Bears want to move forward with their backup quarterback. 

Johnson made it clear on Wednesday that he puts the offense’s struggles on himself more than anything and stated he needs to do a better job of making sure his unit gets in a rhythm “regardless of who’s playing the quarterback position.”

Johnson preaches accountability. His quarterback decision on Sunday will show how true he stays to that philosophy.