Chicago Bears expected to start quarterback Tyson Bagent vs. New York Jets: ESPN source

The Bears are expected to start Tyson Bagent at quarterback against the Jets, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

While coach Ben Johnson did not publicly disclose who would start in place of Caleb Williams in Week 4, sources told Rapoport that Bagent took the majority of first-team reps at practice during the week . Case Keenum will serve as Bagent's backup against the Jets.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

Williams was ruled out for a second straight game as he recovers from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. His recovery timeline is expected to be three to four weeks, according to Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Bagent's last start came in 2023 in a 16-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, which is 1,059 days removed from Sunday. He started four games his rookie season while former Bears quarterback Justin Fields dealt with a thumb injury. Chicago went 2-2 during that stretch.

Bagent sustained a concussion late in the fourth quarter of a 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 20 after Williams left the game with injury . Bagent did not clear the concussion protocol until last Sunday and practiced only once leading into the Philadelphia Eagles game , thus why he did not start in Week 3.

But not long after the Bears earned their second win of the season, Johnson reiterated that Bagent was named the backup quarterback at the end of training camp "for a reason."

Johnson said midweek that the Bears knew the "direction" they want to go at quarterback but that the hot-hand conversation with Keenum would play a part in the evaluation.

"There is such a thing as playing the hot hand," Johnson said Friday. "That is real. We're certainly taking that into consideration. And yet, there's a body of work that goes into it as well. There's a lot of factors at play, and we certainly have talked about it as a coaching staff. Honestly, it's split. If you just ask each coach one-on-one what they think, it's split. I don't know that there's necessarily a right answer or a wrong answer in terms of how we go about this thing. Both of them are well prepared to play and win a game for us here, so I'm excited about that."

Bears LT Braxton Jones on IR; Theo Benedet to start vs. Jets

Chicago Bears left tackle Braxton Jones has been placed on injured reserve after sustaining an injury to his right knee against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3.

Jones was classified as "week-to-week" and did not practice ahead of the Bears' Week 4 matchup with the Jets. He is eligible to return on Nov. 2 at Seattle.

Theo Benedet, who spent the first three weeks in a rotation with Jones, will start at left tackle, per coach Ben Johnson.

Sunday could be the first time this season that Ozzy Trapilo is active for a game. Trapilo, who started six games at left tackle for Chicago as a rookie last season, worked his way back from a ruptured patellar tendon this offseason far sooner than the Bears had anticipated but was inactive against the Panthers, Vikings and Eagles.

"We're still working out Ozzy just to make sure that the confidence is back," Johnson said. "He's looking better each and every week. He was one of those guys in Wednesday night's practice in pads. He stood out in a good way."