LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor is just one month older than quarterback Case Keenum.

So he has a deep appreciation and respect for what the veteran did this past week to prepare for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.

“I just haven’t practiced in 15 years and I don’t know that I could get up and do that every single day,” Taylor said.

With that said, here’s everything you need to know from the podium to the injury report to the Bears locker room before kickoff in Week 3.

1. The Bears’ quarterback situation has been – remains? –  fluid.

Tyson Bagent officially cleared concussion protocol on Sunday. Case Keenum got the majority of the practice work this past week. FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer reported that he’s expected to start.

But would it be that surprising if Ben Johnson throws a curveball for Monday night?

Take what the Bears coach said on Saturday.

“Since it’s progressed along, (Bagent) was able to be in meetings (Friday) and now he’s in practice (Saturday), and so he’s right on track to be right where he needs to be. And I think mentally he’s going to be in a good spot for what we’re asking to do.”

Johnson has talked too much about the significance of practice reps for all players in the past to overlook how important they were for Keenum over the past few days. But Bagent also had good moments against the Minnesota Vikings that he can build upon.

“I thought he did a great job giving us an opportunity at the end of the game,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. “You are facing that (Vikings) defense. It’s a tough situation. He gave us an opportunity to get down there. Obviously, it goes without being said, we’d like to have maximized both those possessions that end up inside the 12-yard line better than we did. But I thought in terms of being a backup thrown into a tough situation, he did a great job giving us an opportunity.” 

Caleb Williams was ruled out for Monday night but his status remains something to watch throughout Monday. ESPN/NFL Network reported that Williams is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring pull and could miss three or four weeks. 

My understanding from the start was that Williams was always looking at a multi-week absence. Playing against the Eagles was never a realistic option. The question was how quickly Williams would start to recover and progress. 

As my colleague Adam Hoge pointed out on X on Sunday, the clearest indicator of the severity of Williams’ injury will come at 3 p.m. on Monday – the deadline for roster moves before kickoff.

Placing Williams on injured reserve would guarantee a four-week absence but also provide the Bears with an available roster spot – which they could use with linebacker Noah Sewell and defensive lineman Shemar Turner nearing their activations from the PUP list. 

Here’s one thing for certain: the long-term health of Williams will be prioritized. The Bears will not rush him back. The organization can still hope for the best with Williams but it also has planned for the worst. The Bears can turn to Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum.

2. Case Keenum enters Monday night with the full confidence of his teammates and coaches if he plays. 

It might be different if Keenum was just added to the roster with Caleb Williams (QB1) and Tyson Bagent (QB2) ailing. But Keenum has played an integral role behind the scenes since joining the Bears in April 2025. 

“It’s always fun, kind of get to work with a vet,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “Obviously, they’ve seen so much and done so much, and how many times has he set a play call in the huddle? So it’s cool to kind of get that vibe from him. And I know he’s super excited about the opportunity, all that type of stuff.”

Keenum took the first-team reps during the Bears’ prep for the Eagles. 

“The way he commands everything, he’s been doing it for a long time,” running back D’Andre Swift said. “So he’s been great.”

Keenum is part of the Bears’ investment in Williams but also the position overall.

“(It’s) just his professionalism,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. “He’s obviously done it a really long time and at a high level, and he’s been through kind of every role you can be in in a quarterback room, from undrafted to a franchise guy to a backup to an up-and-down starter. And so I think all those lessons have really kind of molded him into the quarterback he is today. He’s probably not the same quarterback he was 12, 13 years ago, five years ago.

“And then … he’s been with us since Day 1, so he’s watched this thing get built, he’s had input on the way we’ve done things. And now it’s really cool to see him get a little bit more opportunity here in practice and see how he handles it. If his opportunity comes, I don’t think anybody has any doubt he’ll be ready for the moment.”

3. There’s no need to worry about kicker Cairo Santos.

He didn’t practice Wednesday, Thursday (estimation) or Friday because of soreness in his hip. But he was back in action on Saturday. 

Santos doesn’t have an injury designation for Monday night.

“I just felt some soreness after the (Vikings) game,” Santos told reporters. “I felt good that it wasn’t an injury-related thing and I’m thankful for coach Johnson and (special teams coordinator Richard Hightower) for letting me rest. I don’t think I’ve ever had a rest day. But maybe it’s that point in my career that after a rainy game, kicking a lot of wet balls, they’re heavier. I felt like my body just felt a little sore. I just rested and then felt good (Saturday).”

4. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson’s run of injuries just won’t stop but he won’t stop fighting to play. 

It’s because he’s “Miami tough,” according to Ben Johnson.

“I was fortunate to be down there for seven years, and so I do think there’s something in the water down there,” Johnson said. “Guys are a little bit different in terms of how they’re brought up. And so it’s good. I said it at the end of training camp, we have a roster full of guys that are fighting – fighting to be on that grass and be on the field and help their teammates win.”

Stevenson was initially deemed week-to-week with a hamstring injury, which he suffered against the Vikings.  But he returned to practice on Friday and now he doesn’t have an injury designation for Week 3. 

It’s been an injury-filled few weeks for Stevenson. He got banged up in training camp at Halas Hall and later during the joint practice against the Tennessee Titans. Stevenson was later evaluated twice for a concussion in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, the second time because of a stinger.

5. Running back D’Andre Swift is more focused on what went wrong last week than what happened last year against the Eagles. 

Last year was last year regardless of the 281 rushing yards produced by the Bears in Philadelphia.

Last week, Swift felt like he left yards – and definitely a touchdown because of his fumble – on the field against the Vikings. 

“I feel like I missed a couple out there, but (it’s) a different style of defense that was kind of getting thrown at us,” Swift said. “Another opportunity to make it right (on Monday).”

Week 3 is Week 3 regardless of opponent.

“(We) just so happen to play the Eagles,” Swift said. 

6. Ben Johnson vs. Vic Fangio is the main event but Dennis Allen vs. Sean Mannion is an intriguing undercard.

Mannion is in his first year as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator. He’s a first-time playcaller. He spent the past two years with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive assistant and then quarterbacks coach. 

A former quarterback, Mannion is also not far removed from his own playing career. His last stint came in December 2023 on the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad.

Allen’s first season as a defensive coordinator came in 2011 with the Denver Broncos.

“We’re obviously defending the scheme and as we’re going through this, we’re trying to evaluate, ‘OK, what is Philly as it’s been for the last few years? What are the new wrinkles that Sean’s bringing over with him?’ And (it’s) just trying to see how they’re going to attack the game,” Allen said. “But we’ve really got to defend the plays and the formations that are set before us. My job will be to try to get a feel for what their plan is and how they’re trying to attack us and then we’ve got to be able to adjust to whatever that might be.”

7. Rookie tight end Sam Roush’s playing time is something to watch.

From Week 1 to Week 2, Roush’s snaps on offense increased from 12 to 20 but dropped from 28 to nine on special teams. 

Roush wasn’t set on first-and-10 on the Minnesota Vikings’ 30 when tight end Colston Loveland had a 14-yard catch. His illegal shift wiped out the gain. It also was the start of four penalties in five plays for the Bears. 

Roush also had a drop in the red zone four plays before Caleb Williams suffered his hamstring injury. 

On special teams, it first appeared that Roush was to blame for the blocked field goal by the Vikings. But a closer look revealed that the snap count was off. Veteran long snapper Scott Daly later replaced rookie Beau Gardner on the roster. 

But will Roush’s playing time come next? 

“It’s not the only phase he played on, and he graded out extremely well on kickoff return. He graded out extremely well on punt,” special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. “So he’s got to keep growing him. He’s not on punt return yet or on kickoff last game. He was the first game. He did an outstanding job on kickoff the first game. So he’s a young player that we’re developing. He cares. He’s working his tail off, and we’ll continue to develop him. So that’s not the only thing he does. We all got to be better, alright. So I’m not going to single out, Sam. We all got to be better.”

8. The Bears are happy to have long snapper Scott Daly back on their roster.

The team won’t give up on developing rookie Beau Gardner.

But some stability was needed after the miscues in Week 3. 

“He’s a good friend,” kicker Cairo Santos told reporters. “We stayed in touch, even trying to get him back here in free agency and helping him get other opportunities out there. It just felt like riding a bike when he came out there and executing our kicks (Saturday) and just kind of getting that rhythm again.”

9. The Bears’ platoon plan at left tackle is a weekly decision. 

And it won’t include Ozzy Trapilo quite yet despite his own progress. 

The idea behind it is to keep Braxton Jones fresh for late in games. Backup Theo Benedet has played 38 snaps in two weeks.  

“We’ll see how the game goes,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. “We’ve kind of got a plan going into every single week. We’ll discuss it as a staff early in the week, kind of see how it shakes out, and then we’ll stamp it somewhere along the week and going into the game. We’ll determine whatever gives us the best opportunity to win.

10. The production for tight end Colston Loveland will come soon enough.

In two games, he has just one catch for three yards on five targets.

“I think obviously we want the ball,” Loveland said after practice on Wednesday. “Everyone in here wants the ball. We’re here for a reason and we want to make plays and help our team win. But there’s other ways to make plays on the ground in the run game. I’m just doing what I’m asked, and like we were talking about, there’s going to be opportunities, so I just gotta take full advantage when it arises.”

That said, it’s time to just throw the film of Week 2 out and focus on the Eagles.

“I don’t think it’s realistic to think anybody’s going to air the ball out the way it went last week in the pouring rain,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said.