On Sunday, October 15, The Chicago Bears played The Minnesota Vikings, resulting in a loss. In the process, starting quarterback Justin Fields dislocated his right thumb causing undrafted D2 rookie Tyson Bagent to be subbed in as starting QB until Fields’ recovery. While Bagent may be a rookie, he holds the NCAA record for career touchdown passes at 159, showing promising potential from him. This potential was displayed versus the Las Vegas Raiders on October 22, resulting in a 30-12 win at Soldier Field. This win was a major milestone for Bagent being his first starting game and The Bears’ first home win since September 25, 2022. During this game Bagent put up impressive stats such as 21 out of 29 completed passes and averaging 4.8 yards gained per pass. During the post game interview, Bagent happily describes his win saying: “Not a lot of people get to say they started in an NFL game, let alone win an NFL game. Definitely had a lot of those conversations today. I think the staff understood it, too, and the players. That’s why everybody rallied behind me as well as they did.”
The next two games resulted in unfortunate losses for The Bears against the Los Angeles Chargers (13-30) and the New Orlean Saints (17-24). However, Bagent continued to show his worth through handling each play with a strong composure and leading the offense despite being a D2 rookie. The next game versus the Carolina Panthers went well, with the Bears winning 16-13 while Bagent controlled the offense collectively. Some noteworthy stats include an average of 4.9 yards per pass and 20 out of 33 passes. Moreover, Bagent continued to show efficiency in the game plans assigned to him by his coaches and got the job done throughout each game.
Tyson Bagent has shown his worth as a professional football player through his four starting games as an undrafted D2 quarterback. Bagent will likely stay in the NFL due to his decision and play execution while under pressure through his leadership skills. While Justin Fields is expected to return for the next Bears game versus the Lions, Bagent is overall a fun and uplifting player to watch due to his underdog story and rookie status.