The Chicago Bears have patched many of the biggest holes in their roster after the first week of 2025 NFL free agency, but they could still stand to add more depth to a few positions — including, potentially, a veteran at quarterback.
The Bears have an unquestioned starting quarterback in Caleb Williams heading into the 2025 season with new head coach Ben Johnson planning to rebuild their offense around the 2024 No. 1 overall pick. Whether Tyson Bagent will retain his spot as the No. 2 quarterback next season, though, remains unclear at this stage in the offseason.
While Bagent is under contract in 2025, Johnson might prefer to sign a veteran backup with more playing experience whose mentorship could benefit Williams’ development. They could then ask Bagent to earn his keep — again — and square off in training camp against the veteran, a process that would force Bagent to prove he is the best fit at QB2.
There are not many options available in free agency who fit that description and make enough sense for the Bears, but Windy City Gridiron’s Bill Zimmerman has floated one potential option for them to consider: Jameis Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in 2015.
“At this point, if the Bears try to bring in a significant QB2 to compete with Tyson Bagent, the choices are pretty slim, but there are a few options,” Zimmerman wrote on March 14. “They could do something wild and pursue Jameis Winston.”
Jameis Winston Could Work as Viable Backup Option
Winston is an interesting possibility for the Bears on the veteran quarterback market for a couple of reasons. The 31-year-old has considerably more playing experience than many of the other veterans available with 87 career starts — seven in 2024 — and more than 24,000 career passing yards to his name. He also has perspective on being a No. 1 overall pick, which could provide an asset for Williams as he works into his second year.
While Zimmerman noted Winston could be looking for an opportunity to start with his next NFL team — something he would not find in Chicago — he could become a realistic option for the Bears if he wants a backup job where he can simply add value to a roster.
Of course, there aren’t many logical scenarios where the Bears bring in Winston and preemptively toss Bagent off the roster without giving them a chance to battle it out.
How Will Bears Go About Challenging Tyson Bagent?
How the Bears feel about Bagent’s fit as the No. 2 quarterback in 2025 is still unknown.
The former UDFA signing has twice emerged victorious in competitions for the backup job, beating out veterans P.J. Walker (2023) and Brett Rypien (2024) in camp battles, but Johnson is bringing in a new offensive mind set and coaching staff that could void the goodwill Bagent has banked in past years and force him to earn it all over again.
That’s why the Bears’ movements at the quarterback position could prove telling.
Right now, Bagent and Austin Reed — a 2024 UDFA — are the only two quarterbacks on the roster behind Williams. If the Bears do not make a substantial move to add talent at the quarterback position over the next few months, it would indicate they are confident about Bagent’s ability to remain their No. 2 option and back up Williams again in 2025.
If the Bears sign someone like Winston or veteran Joe Flacco, though, it would suggest they want to at least turn up the heat for Bagent enough that he has to take another step forward to keep his job for the 2025 season. They could even draft another quarterback — in the later rounds — to compete, adding the pressure of an in-contention draft pick.
It all depends on what Johnson and the Bears think of Bagent’s upside.
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