Is there a QB controversy brewing in Chicago? |
The Chicago Bears have been in the news a lot recently, and for the most part, it has been for all the wrong reasons. Coming off another ugly loss to fall to 4-5 on the season, the pressure was on Matt Eberflus and the Bears to make some changes to hopefully salvage this season. After evaluating the team and determining where things stand, Eberflus decided to move on from Shane Waldron as the offensive coordinator and relieved him of his duties.
Taking over for him will be former Carolina Panthers OC and Chicago Bears passing coordinator coach Thomas Brown as he will get his second crack as a play caller in this league. However, that isn't the only thing being talked about this week, as other things are going around Halas Hall right now that could be creating a rift inside the locker room. You never want a divided locker room at any point in the season, but for it to happen during Packers/Bears week, it brings an all-new level of stress to the table. According to Marc Silverman of ESPN, there are some rumblings about a possible quarterback change, as a quarterback controversy could be brewing in Chicago. Make no mistake about it, when it comes to the Media, fans, coaches and Ownership, there is no controversy as Caleb Williams is their man and has been since day one. However, when it comes to the players some of them feel that Williams no longer gives them the best chance to win and a lot of the veterans are pushing for the Bears to make the switch to Tyson Bagent. Could one of those veterans be DJ Moore, who looks lost on the field? Maybe, but without names being thrown out there, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the Bears would look to switch things up on offense, but no one expected a possible quarterback switch to be part of the cards. With several players going to Eberflus and Ryan Poles personally to ask for an OC change, it's no secret that things were tough in that locker room. However, once it was made public that several veterans had also spoken to Poles and Eberflus about going to Bagent, goes to show how bad things have gotten in that locker room. This wouldn't be the first time Bagent has been put in a situation like this. He filled in for four starts last season when Justin Fields went down with an injury, and many people felt he should've been given a longer leash. Knowing that there are players willing to speak up and stand up for Bagent shouldn't come as a surprise, as the undrafted free agent has always had fans in the locker room due to his work ethic and drive to get better. The most shocking thing to take away from this is that most of the veterans are sticking up for him, as opposed to Rome Odunze and the rookies. One would think that could be due to the rookies having better chemistry with Williams at this point, but something isn't right in the Bears locker room, and with the toughest schedule in the league lurking, things could get ugly fast. Make no mistake about it: Williams is by far the more talented QB of the two, and he is the future of the franchise, but does he give this team the best opportunity to win right now? That answer may not be as clear-cut as it seems, but you could make the case that Bagent is a better option right now. He is an undrafted free agent who has worked hard to make this roster. Now, in his second year in the league, he can process things much quicker than Williams. That was always an issue for Williams in college, as many scouts said he had a tendency to hang on to the ball too long. You are starting to see that now, as he has taken 15 sacks in two weeks, but part of that has to fall on the offensive line, which seemingly can't block anyone. Another thing to consider is that the leaders of the pack calling for the Bagent move are the same ones who have been calling the team meetings to voice their frustrations with the current state of this franchise. An unnamed player even said that Waldron's scheme has broken Williams, and many players are worried that it may have stunted his growth as a quarterback. Putting Williams on the bench may not be a bad thing, but instead, it could serve as a mental reset, which could be the best thing to happen to the quarterback. You saw Bryce Young go through that earlier this season, and since his return, he looks like a much different quarterback. The same thing could happen to Williams, but if the Bears are going to do something like this, it needs to happen sooner rather than later. Bagent has taken just six snaps this season, but going back to last season, you have a guy who went 2-2 in four career starts. Bagent completed 65.7 percent of his passes (94-for-143) and threw for 859 yards, but tossed more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (3) while also rushing for two more scores. He earned the backup job out of camp, and should things continue to get worse, you could see a scenario where he finishes the season for the Bears.
