Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson left little to suspense this week where his starting quarterback is concerned.
Backup Tyson Bagent will start for the Bears when they visit the Green Bay Packers on Sunday as Caleb Williams misses at least one more game with a hamstring injury.
While the Bears (3-1) relied largely on the ground attack in a 23-12 home win against the New York Jets in Week 4, with Kyle Monangai contributing 146 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, the aim remains to amp Bagent’s productivity.
The fourth-year pro sustained a concussion shortly after being pressed into duty late in a Week 2 loss to Minnesota when Williams was hurt. Bagent was 25-of-34 for 268 yards with an interception versus the Jets.
Monangai earned a majority of the carries after a D’Andre Swift lost a fumble. Swift gained 58 yards on 13 attempts but has two fumbles since Week 2. Johnson called the Week 4 fumble “egregious.”
“There’s too many times when the ball’s getting away from our body and he knows that,” Johnson said. “He takes a lot of pride in it – hence why it’s never been an issue over the course of his career. We just gotta tighten that up and he’ll be just fine moving forward.”
Green Bay (2-2) will try to win consecutive games for the first time this season while avoiding an 0-2 start in division play. Both teams have lost to the division-leading Vikings (4-0).
The Packers split the regular-season series with the longtime rival Bears in 2025 with both teams earning home victories. Host Chicago won the NFC North, however, and claimed the rubber match with Green Bay after rallying for a 31-27 victory in an NFC wild-card game.
“You can feel it on gameday,” LaFleur said. “You can feel it throughout the course of the week and also the significance, I mean, they’re the defending North champions. So what a great opportunity, great challenge for us in our home stadium to play against the defending champs.”
Packers left tackle Jordan Morgan said he feels several teammates took “to heart” derogatory comments Johnson made toward the team after the playoff game, namely an expletive that was captured on video.
“We got a chance to prove to everybody on Sunday that we the best team,” Morgan said.
Visiting Green Bay edged the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-14 in Week 4 but absorbed another blow to the defense, as linebacker Edgerrin Cooper suffered a season-ending torn Achilles on a non-contact play midway through the third quarter. Defensive end Micah Parsons (ACL) was eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list this week but did not return to practice.
The Packers are searching for consistency without running back Josh Jacobs, who remains on the commissioner’s exempt list. Green Bay’s two wins were both three-point victories. The Packers beat the Jets 20-17 in overtime in Week 2.
Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love has thrown an interception in consecutive games but has thrown two touchdown passes in each of the Packers’ four contests. Love improved his completion percentage markedly against Tampa Bay, connecting on 73.3 percent of his passes for 197 yards and scoring passes to Tucker Kraft and Matthew Golden.
Love completed no better than 55.2 percent of his passes in the first three games.
“Obviously Jordan Love is one of the better quarterbacks in this league,” Johnson said. “He is as accurate as anybody.”
The Bears head to Atlanta (2-2) next week before playing three consecutive primetime games (vs. New England, at Seattle and vs. Tampa Bay).
The Packers host the Cowboys for “Sunday Night Football” in Week 6, then go to Detroit before another primetime game at Lambeau on Oct. 29 against the Carolina Panthers.
Packers wide receiver Savion Williams (ankle) practiced for the first time after beginning the season on injured reserve and LaFleur didn’t rule out the possibility of Williams playing.
Bears defensive back Kyler Gordon (calf) was a full participant in practice; Johnson said the team would decide this week whether to activate him from the PUP list.
