Cardinals eye Bears QB Tyson Bagent. His surprising performance sparks trade buzz, revealing backup quarterback value around the league.
Good backups are hard to find in this league, but the Chicago Bears have a pretty reliable one in quarterback Tyson Bagent.
Bagent has been with the Bears since 2023. He went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft after playing at Shepherd University at the Division II level from 2018-2022. He ended his college career with 9,382 passing yards, 84 touchdowns and 32 interceptions.
After landing with the Bears, he had to sit behind starting quarterback Justin Fields. However, it wasn't long into the 2023 season that Bagent got his chance.
Fields went down with a thumb injury in Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings, putting Bagent in position to start the next few games.
Bagent went 2-2 as the starter, throwing for 776 passing yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.
After his initial contract expired, the Bears decided they liked what they saw from Bagent and brought him back on a two-year, $10 million deal. His current contract is set to run out in 2028, via Spotrac.
It seems that the Bears aren't the only ones that know how valuable a player like Bagent is, as the Arizona Cardinals are interested in the quarterback, according to 98.7 FM Phoenix's John Gambadoro.
The Cardinals made a head coaching move in the offseason. The franchise fired former HC Jonathan Gannon and is now led by former Seattle Seahawks assistant Klint Kubiak. Kubiak was the Seahawks' offensive coordinator this past season, leading an offense that finished third in points (28.4) and eighth in yards (351.4) per game.
As a whole, Bagent has thrown for 917 passing yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions.
If true, it'll be interesting to see how much the Cardinals are willing to give up to land Bagent. He is a backup, but a good one, which definitely adds to his value. Even a guy like Case Keenum, who didn't play a single snap for the Bears in 2025, has value.
General Manager Ryan Poles brought in Keenum and has been a great teacher to Williams.
The Philadelphia Eagles understand the value of a proven backup. When Carson Wentz went down with an injury in 2017, the Eagles relied on backup quarterback Nick Foles, and it paid dividends.
Foles played the best football of his career in that postseason run the Eagles had. He finished with 971 passing yards, six touchdowns and one interception in the 2017 playoffs.
Can the Bears cash in on Bagent's value now that he's getting interest from other teams? Only time will tell.