LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Tyson Bagent was firmly entrenched as the Bears’ backup quarterback last year and heading into this one. Then, veteran Case Keenum showed up.

He brings experience, wisdom and stiff competition for a No. 2 job that’s now up for grabs.

That didn’t throw Bagent off one bit.

“I’ll be surprised when that’s not the case, year-to-year, every year just competing with somebody,” Bagent said after Thursday’s minicamp practice. “I’m always competing, no matter who’s in a room. That s–t is not going to change how I operate and what I do on a daily basis, so it’s been great in that sense.”

Bagent has also enjoyed working with new head coach and offensive play caller Ben Johnson, a demanding individual who believes competition fosters rapid development.

“I would say it’s been a dream come true, especially for somebody like me that just loves the game and loves the hustle aspect of it,” Bagent said. “It’s been very intense and kind of overloading us with information, which I’m a fan of. It’s been wonderful. He’s got a good mixture of making sure we’re locked in, having fun, laughing and also just being really intense. So, it’s been great so far.” 

That opinion holds despite Johnson adding direct competition for Bagent’s place on the team. While he’s a fierce competitor, there’s also a sense of comradery and respect for what Keenum can teach him, starter Caleb Williams and backup Austin Reed.

“What a guy,” Bagent said. “What you say, what he brings to the room, really just an encyclopedia of information. Just somebody that’s been in every role that a quarterback could possibly be in in the NFL, and I’ve just been trying to take advantage of that and really any question that I have if he’s around or if I got my phone on me, wanting to ask him basically whatever it is that’s been going on and he’s been great with answering every question that really everybody in the room has so far.”

That wealth of experience has been freely shared in the quarterback room. It also might give Keenum a leg up for the backup job. He worked exclusively with the second unit on Thursday and made some nice throws in team drills. His composure in pressure-packed spots has been evident to this point and could be an asset should the Bears need a backup to enter the fray.

Johnson is pushing all of his quarterbacks every day. Sometimes that comes with a pop quiz, where he’ll ask a signal caller to go in front of the room and call three plays and go through the operation for each one. They’re designed to help quarterbacks understand scheme language and get all the pre-snap procedures down.

“I would go home, I would go straight into my iPad and try to figure all that (stuff) out,” Bagent said. “So I think it served wonders for the quarterback room going down the line, just what the expectation is of having to be on top of our (stuff) every day that you walk into the building, so I thought it was great.”

Bagent desperately wants to be an NFL starting quarterback, and has fared decently well in his four starts as a rookie. Williams is the starter here and Keenum could well be the backup, but Bagent isn’t bummed about his lot with the organization.

“It’s tough, but there’s no better job in the whole world,” he said. “I’m so happy and so excited every single day that I wake up, and that really for me is enough motivation. Really, there’s no alternative for me. I’m going to stay ready regardless of the situation I’m in. But for the most part, it’s been an absolute dream come true. So just going to keep at it and staying ready.”