From Division II dominance to high-value trade target, this resilient underdog has solidified his place in Chicago by embracing his role and mastering the team's evolving offense.
It's hard to find something not to like about Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent.
If you're a fan of underdog stories, he has a pretty good one.
Bagent played for Shepherd from 2018-2022, a small college in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, that plays at the Division II level. He became the starting quarterback as a true freshman.
In his first college game, he threw for 518 passing yards and three touchdowns. The list of records that he set at Shepherd is too long to count.
He ended his college career with 13,658 passing yards, 123 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. He also had 10 rushing touchdowns in his career at Shepherd.
Bagent then was one of the three Division II players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. Unfortunately, he went undrafted in 2023, but was signed by the Bears.
He wasn't able to beat out Justin Fields for the starting job and was the backup that season. However, Fields went down with an injury early in the year, and Bagent was forced into action.
He started four games for the Bears and went 2-2, throwing for 826 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Bagent proved he can hold down the fort when needed.
Bagent has been the Bears' backup for the last two seasons. He's accepted his role on this team, even though it might not be the one he envisioned for himself when he arrived in 2023.
He's committed to doing whatever it takes to help this team. Still, the Bears have tried to put him in situations where he can compete for a starting role elsewhere.
It was rumored that the Arizona Cardinals were interested in trading for him. General Manager Ryan Poles confirmed that more teams than just the Cardinals were asking about Bagent earlier this offseason.
It looked like the Bears were keen to trade Bagent, given the recent contract they gave to Case Keenum. Keenum joined the team last year and was the emergency quarterback, but still provided valuable insight to Caleb Williams.
Keenum was re-signed by the Bears on a two-year, $5.5 million deal with a maximum of $8 million in incentives. That typically isn't the amount of money that an emergency QB would make. That's the kind of money you'd pay to a backup.
Still, Bagent is on the Bears and just wants to be a part of what Ben Johnson is doing.
A recent interview showed that he is a great fit for what Johnson is doing with the Bears. Bagent went on the "CHGO Bears Podcast" and mentioned how he gets upset with himself if he doesn't give 100% at practice.
He added that he feels he owes it to himself to give his best every day, given how lucky he is to be playing for an organization like the Bears. Bagent went from playing Division II football to the NFL, which not many people can say they have done.
This standard is exactly the kind of thing that Johnson is trying to establish at the Bears. Johnson is obsessed with football in the best way.
We found out from him that he believes the summer is one of the best times to get ahead of the upcoming season. While most coaches spend time with their families in the offseason, Johnson is still focused on football.
The standard that Bagent holds himself to is the epitome of this Bears team under Johnson. It's no wonder Poles identified Bagent as a UDFA signing in 2023.
