5 things to watch in the Chicago Bears-New York Jets game at Soldier Field — plus our Week 4 predictions
Ben Johnson wants to keep the New York Jets guessing as long as possible.
The Chicago Bears coach has not named a starting quarterback for the Week 4 matchup at Soldier Field. The hope is it adds a little extra guesswork for Jets coach and former Detroit Lions colleague Aaron Glenn.
Starting quarterback Caleb Williams is still dealing with a strained hamstring and has been ruled out, so either backup Tyson Bagent or third-string QB Case Keenum will start Sunday.
But nothing definitive has been announced.
The Bears and Jets have not squared off since Nov. 27, 2022. Backups Trevor Siemian and Mike White started that game, with White leading the Jets to a 31-10 win at MetLife Stadium. The Jets haven’t won at Soldier Field since 1997.
Here’s what to watch for when the Bears (2-1) face the Jets (1-2) at noon Sunday on the lakefront.
1. Who starts at QB for the Bears?
Keenum was the star of Monday night’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He threw for 247 yards and contributed three total touchdowns in his first game action since 2023.
The Bears went with Keenum because Bagent missed nearly the entire week of practice with a concussion. Bagent cleared concussion protocol by Sunday and served as Keenum’s backup Monday.
So what do the Bears do now? Go with the backup on the depth chart or the hot hand?
“Whoever we feel like gives us the best chance to win,” Johnson said this week.
Rest assured, Johnson went into the week with a plan; he’s just not ready to share it publicly right now.
Bagent has been the team’s primary backup since his rookie season in 2023. As Johnson said after last week’s win, Bagent won the backup job coming out of training camp “for a reason.”
The Bears believe in Bagent, so much so that they gave him a new contract last year and rebuffed calls from at least one other team asking if Bagent might be available in a trade over the offseason.
But Keenum became the talk of the NFL this week when he helped beat the Eagles pretty soundly.
“I have absolutely zero ego in this,” Bagent said. “And nobody is a bigger cheerleader and fan of Case Keenum than I am. I think he’s the epitome of what I believe a quarterback is and is supposed to be. So it was fun to watch him play.”
Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor sees a little bit of Johnson in Bagent.
“He operates the system at a high level,” Taylor said. “He’s an extremely intelligent person, extremely competitive person. There’s a little bit, you sense a little bit of him and Ben are kind of similar in the competitive edge that they both carry but also just the intelligence they carry.”
Taylor said the Bears “recalibrate” every week.
“The variables are never ending, honestly,” he said.
Last week, Bagent was in concussion protocol for much of the week. The Bears had to work through that variable, and they felt it was best to stick with Keenum after Keenum had taken reps with the starters all week.
This week, Bagent is cleared and fully healthy. Like Keenum last week, Bagent hasn’t started a game since 2023. He has started four games in his NFL career — all during his rookie season.
2. Player in the spotlight: Jets QB Geno Smith
When the Bears faced Smith a year ago in a Week 4 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, the veteran quarterback was turning the ball over at a high rate. The Bears picked him off three times in that game, and Smith went on to lead the league with 17 interceptions.
Over the offseason, Smith reunited with the Jets, with whom he began his career as a second-round draft pick in 2013. So far this season, Smith has yet to throw an interception and has lost only one fumble. He’s completing a league-best 75.5% of his passes.
“That means he’s making the right decision,” Bears defensive passing game coordinator Al Harris said. “He’s done an excellent job of that, completing passes and getting the ball where he needs to go.”
The turnovers killed the Raiders a year ago. They went 2-13 with Smith starting at quarterback, although he was far from their only problem. That was after the journeyman backup revived his career as a starter with the Seattle Seahawks following Russell Wilson’s exit.
First-year Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich has Smith taking care of the football. The Jets are one of four teams that have not thrown an interception.
“You can just tell they’re operating pretty well,” Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “It’s confidence in his skills, he trusts his arm. But I do think just what they do schematically and how they run the ball and the players they have, the personnel in terms of the speed that they have, it’s a serious group.”
If Bagent plays, this will be a notable matchup for the West Virginia native, who grew up watching Smith lead one of the most prolific college offenses of its time at West Virginia from 2009-12.
3. Aaron Glenn’s defense is improving.
The Jets have had one of the league’s tougher defenses through three weeks of the season. Glenn is a defensive coach at heart, but that really didn’t show in his team last season.
This year, it’s a different story.
The Jets rank second in yards allowed (258.3 per game) and third against the pass (171). Their 8.6% sack rate ranks seventh. Remarkably, the Jets still don’t have an interception since Glenn became the coach last year. Their last interception came during the finale of the 2024 season on Jan. 5, 2025. That’s more than 20 consecutive games without a pick.
Even so, the Jets defense is going to be a test for a backup quarterback.
“Their front is really good,” Bagent said. “Edge rushers are great. They’ve got veteran leadership in the middle at linebacker, and then I think they’re very well coached on the back end. So it’ll be a tough group.”
David Bailey, the No. 2 draft pick in April, and Kingsley Enagbare, who signed with the Jets in March, each have two sacks this season. Veteran middle linebacker Demario Davis joined the Jets in free agency and leads the team with 22 tackles.
4. Keep an eye on …
Left tackle and cornerback.
Starting left tackle Braxton Jones suffered a right knee injury in the third quarter against the Eagles. Johnson on Friday ruled Jones out for Sunday’s game and announced that backup Theo Benedet will start.
Second-year tackle Ozzy Trapilo will get another week of rest as he returns from a serious knee injury suffered in January. Trapilo has been a full participant in practice, but Johnson said the Bears aren’t quite ready to throw him into a game yet.
“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 that he stood out in a good way. I think he’s going the right way and he might be available sooner rather than later.”
For this week, though, it will be Benedet at left tackle. An undrafted rookie in 2024, Benedet started eight games last season, including seven at left tackle.
As for cornerback, rookie Malik Muhammad played ahead of Tyrique Stevenson last week. Stevenson was nagged by a hamstring injury during the practice week ahead of the Eagles game.
“We just felt good going into that game with starting Malik on the outside and having Cam (Lewis) play more of the nickel role,” Johnson said. “So each week is a little bit different. I was really pleased, and honestly we were a little surprised with how quickly Tyrique came back from the injury.”
Stevenson is not on the injury report this week, so it will be notable if Muhammad starts ahead of him against the Jets. It’s also possible the Bears move Muhammad back to nickel, where he played in Weeks 1 and 2, because Lewis is doubtful with a hip injury.
5. Injury updates
The Bears officially ruled out Williams on Friday, meaning he will miss his second consecutive game. The team also ruled out Jones at left tackle. Lewis (hip) is doubtful and did not practice Friday.
Running back D’Andre Swift (knee) popped up on the injury report Thursday but was a full participant Friday and holds no injury designation.
“Whenever you get in a short week with running backs that’s what happens,” Johnson said Friday when asked about Swift. “He’s still feeling the effects of a Monday night football game. I think we’re going to get him out there today. We’ll work him out and see how he’s doing. But I’m optimistic for Sunday.”
Three Bears players on the physically unable to perform list were ruled out ahead of the game: cornerback Kyler Gordon (calf), linebacker Noah Sewell (Achilles) and defensive end Shemar Turner (knee). The earliest those three could be activated from PUP would be Monday.
The Jets ruled out running back Breece Hall (quad), receiver Adonai Mitchell (finger), tight end Mason Taylor (thumb) and left guard Dylan Parham (knee). All four are starters. They also ruled out backup linebacker Kiko Mauigoa (quad).
Jets edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare (knee) and tight end Kenyon Sadiq (back) are questionable. Both were limited participants in practice Friday.
Predictions
Brad Biggs (1-2)
The Jets looked pretty darn good on offense last week, but the Lions defense is having that effect on everyone these days. The Jets have issues on the interior of their offensive line, and Geno Smith could be down a couple of skill-position players. Gang Green could struggle setting the edge against the run too.
Bears 31, Jets 17
Sean Hammond (1-2)
It’s hard to bet against the Bears after how things went last week with Case Keenum at quarterback. Geno Smith has done a better job taking care of the football this season, but this Bears team is again near the top of the league in takeaways, and I think the defense will challenge Smith in that area. Whether it’s Keenum or Tyson Bagent, you have to have some confidence that the Bears will find a way to score some points. I think this one will come down to the final possession.
Bears 24, Jets 21
Phil Thompson (1-2)
My how things have changed after three weeks of football. When the Bears’ slate of opponents was released in May, the New York Jets looked like one of the few patsies from the league’s toughest schedule. A novel concept in New York, but the Jets are competent on offense and defense and barely lost dogfights against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. The Jets are second in time of possession (34:06) — trailing only the Bears (34:32). Buckle up for a slugfest.
Bears 28, Jets 24