As Bears coach Ben Johnson prepares for a reunion with fellow former Lions coordinator Aaron Glenn, Johnson is doing his best to keep Glenn and the Jets in the dark about who the starting quarterback will be.
It’s one of the benefits of having injury issues complicate the most important position in pro football. The uncertainty can be weaponized, in the hopes of preventing the next opponent from knowing who they’ll face.
Johnson is trying his damnedest to keep the plans for Week 4 secret. Through two full practice days in advance of the game against the Jets, he has largely succeeded.
That said, it’s hard to keep the many people who are present for practice from saying something to someone who is trying to find out who’s getting the work. As we hear it, Tyson Bagent (not Case Keenum) has gotten the first-team reps so far this week.
This obviously points to Bagent as the starter in place of Caleb Williams, who continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
It makes sense. Bagent earned the backup role. He entered the Week 2 game against the Vikings in the fourth quarter and nearly pulled off a last-second win.
Keenum got the Monday night start because he was available to prepare for the game against the Eagles at a time when Bagent was in the concussion protocol. By the time Bagent was cleared, the hay was in the barn with Keenum.
The question of whether a coach can keep the identity of his starting quarterback a secret is separate from whether the league should allow it. It creates another chunk of inside information that could be mishandled by those who know the truth.
Presumably, the Bears will make an announcement today. Or maybe they won’t. The rules don’t require it.
And if it’s Bagent, the Bears can say they necessarily made the announcement by not updating their depth chart. Bagent is No. 2, Keenum is No. 3. Both are healthy. Common sense points to Bagent.
If he’s indeed getting all of the practice reps, that only reinforces it.