Bears ‘Still Exploring’ Veteran QB Signing Behind Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears have Caleb Williams in place as their starting quarterback for the 2025 season, but they might not be done making moves at the position.

The Bears have two other quarterbacks on their roster aside from Williams: Tyson Bagent, who has served as the top backup for the past two seasons, and Austin Reed, who won the third-stringer job in 2024 as an undrafted rookie. Right now, Bagent is the projected No.

2 option behind Williams, but general manager Ryan Poles has left the door open for that to change in 2025. Tyson Bagent currently projects as the Bears’ 2025 backup quarterback. Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images Gregory Fisher/

Imagn Images During an interview with The Athletic’s “Hoge & Jahns” podcast at the NFL Owners Meeting this week, Poles said he and new head coach Ben Johnson are “still exploring” the possibility of signing a veteran quarterback for next season.

“That’s something that Ben and I have discussed and talked about, and we’re still exploring,” Poles said Wednesday. “We’re still looking at some different options. We understand there’s a unique wisdom that an experienced quarterback can bring to the table and help a young quarterback out.” The Bears’ openness to adding a veteran quarterback is hardly surprising with Johnson at the helm. While he has said he plans to build Chicago’s new offense around Williams, the presence of a seasoned pro could aid his development.

Johnson may also desire an experienced quarterback to compete with Bagent to ensure the team has the best option behind Williams, should he miss time. The Bears, however, do not have many choices to consider in that regard. Related: Bears Coach Calls Out RB D’Andre Swift Ahead of NFL Draft Joe Flacco is an option after he helped mentor Anthony Richardson with the Indianapolis Colts in 2024, but the 40-year-old might have trouble fitting into a room that has no quarterbacks with more than two seasons of experience.

Teddy Bridgewater could make more sense given his background with Johnson. The two worked together in Detroit in 2023 and 2024 with Bridgewater coming out of retirement late last December to rejoin the Lions. The 33-year-old is also more likely to accept a mentor role even as the No. 3 option, if he keeps playing.

Other potential options include Carson Wentz, Case Keenum and Drew Lock. “The most important piece is making sure it’s a right fit because that room is very, very special,” Poles continued. “It’s a special room, and the personalities, the egos, all that has to work out perfectly or you can disrupt it significantly. “We’re being very particular, but that’s something we can potentially address here in the near future.”