In the days before the Chicago Bears’ first preseason game, head coach Ben Johnson praised Tyson Bagent for his work ethic and ability to process what he sees on the field.
“Appreciate the seriousness and intent that he brings every time that he walks into a room, you know, meeting room, walkthrough, it doesn’t matter. He’s locked in, he’s focused. I think his teammates feel that from him. Love the fact that he throws the ball and he keeps working through his progressions just so he goes home with exactly where everyone is going to be in case he had to move on.”
Johnson may have taken a liking to Bagent, but that doesn’t mean the third-year signal-caller is off limits in trade talks.
The Bears have a young starting quarterback in Caleb Williams, who has great upside. Bagent isn’t going to surpass him on the depth chart. Chicago signed experienced veteran Case Keenum, who can give Williams some guidance. The club has also kept 25-year-old Austin Reed on the practice squad over the last two years.
In 2023, Bagent appeared in five games, making four consecutive starts, throwing for 859 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions with a 65.7 percent completion rate. Even though he came out of a Division II program, the Shepard product flashed the ability to keep pace with the pros. Chicago went 2-2 in his starts.
Under a new regime, Bagent could be expendable if another team makes a strong offer for him. He can generate interest with a string of quality preseason performances.