Bear Digest

Has anyone had a better week than Chicago Bears QB Tyson Bagent?

Chicago Bears QB Tyson Bagent's incredible week continued on Sunday.
Bryan Perez|
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent has had one heck of a week.

It began with his two-year, $10 million contract extension. It continued with his last-second touchdown pass to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3's preseason game (he threw three second-half touchdowns, by the way), and concluded by tossing the ceremonial first pitch at the Chicago White Sox game on Sunday.

The good news for the Chicago Bears is that Bagent has quickly proven to be more than just a backup quarterback; he's establishing himself as a legitimate developmental starter whose time as a QB2 could end much sooner than anyone thinks.

The bad news for the Bears is that the backup quarterback is always the most popular player on a team when the starter struggles. It means Bears fans might not have a lot of patience for Caleb Williams' expected growth in Ben Johnson's offense, whether fair or not.

Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has had a fine preseason. But Bagent has been downright awesome. No, there's no quarterback controversy in Chicago. However, it would be untrue to suggest there isn't at least a few bubbles in the slow boil behind Williams on the depth chart.

The Chicago Bears kick off the 2025 NFL season on national television in Week 1's Monday night matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. It will either be a blessing or a curse for Williams, who has a chance to showcase his generational traits and jumpstart a positive narrative for his second season in the league.

But if he struggles? If the Bears offense sputters and looks sloppy? As frustrating as it will be for Bears Nation, you can all but guarantee the Acho brothers of sports media will begin calling for Bagent to get his shot.

Let's hope we don't get there, regardless of how fun of a story Tyson Bagent's offseason has been.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.