Record-breaking high school quarterback could step in as emergency for Chicago Bears

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The Chicago Bears have no plans to bring in another quarterback ahead of their MNF matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.The Bears have not yet definitively ruled out both Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent for the game, but neither participated in Friday practice.Williams’ injury was not as serious as first feared, and he could return in weeksGettyWilliams was carted off the field in their 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but his injury is not as bad as once thought.Bagent, branded as one of the best backups in the NFL, suffered a concussion during practice, and is unlikely to play.38-year-old veteran Case Keenum is in line to start, with rookie Miller Moss set to be backup, and the Bears seem to have a plan if they go down.Roschon Johnson could be used as an emergency quarterbackESPN’s Courtney Cronin asked Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor if running back Roschon Johnson could step in if things go south.“That’s a possibility, we have a couple different guys that would be a possibility in that role if that comes down to it,” Taylor said.“And again, it’s determining how the numbers shake out on Monday night. But that’s part of the one of the things you see us do in the spring when we have all those skill guys throw, we put stock into that.“I mean, those guys throw, we kind of have an idea who has a past of throwing, who’s played baseball, who played high school quarterback, all that stuff.“And then we watch them throw, and then we kind monitor it throughout the year. “But we’ll reference that tape and stuff, too, if it comes into times of needing somebody else to throw a pass, and we’ll see how that goes.”Johnson is not just your-average fourth year running back, in High School he posted elite numbers as a dual-threat hurler.NFL Weekly Newsletter - SIGN UP!talkSPORT is your home for NFL in the UK as we launch our biggest year of coverage yet!2026 promises to be an epic year for NFL on talkSPORT – and we want you to join us for the ride.MORE INFO & SIGN-UP HERE!This season will be our biggest ever with live commentary of 90+ games, including behind-the-scenes access to international games and all three London fixtures, plus bumper coverage of Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium.Exclusive interviews, hard-hitting opinion, latest front-office drama and top breaking news – all delivered straight to your inbox each week.He finished his time at Port Neches-Groves High School in Texas as their all-time leading passer with 7,710 yards.He finished second all-time in rushing yards with 4,900 and 85 total touchdowns, numbers that earned him an offer with the Texas Longhorns.Bagent experienced concussion-like symptoms during the weekGettyJohnson was a standout quarterback in high school and could step in if requiredGettyJohnson switched to running back shortly after arriving at the Longhorns, and hasn’t played quarterback since.Case Keenum ‘prepared’ for first start in three yearsKeenum has not played in a regular-season NFL game since Week 16 of the 2023 season with the Houston Texans.Across his entire career, he has logged 66 starts for 15,175 yards and 79 touchdowns.Ahead of his first start in three years, the 38-year-old is simply treating it like just another week.Keenum is ready to take the reigns for the Bears in Week 3Getty“I feel very prepared, it’s what I do every week,” Keenum said, via ESPN. “It’s what I’ve done for a long time. I’ve backed up a long time in this league. If my name’s called, I’m excited to be out there.”“I feel as good mentally as I’ve ever felt, being able to see things before they happen, having a lot of banked reps. “So stuff I’ve done in the past, maybe we’re not getting a ton of reps of it this week, but feel good about if I’m playing to be the one to run those plays. “I think as far as operationally goes, I think we can do a lot of things pre-snap, try to get the right play when we can, and I think we can do a lot of fun stuff.”Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows. On Tuesdays Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk with players past and present and break down what to look for across the league