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Tyson Bagent on Zavion Thomas' Bears Debut: 'Greatest Start in NFL History'

OK, it was preseason, but the Bears' backup QB called the 97-yard TD pass he threw on the Bears' first play and Thomas first NFL play a pretty good beginning.
Gene Chamberlain|
Zavion Thomas makes a catch against the Tennessee Titans in Saturday's 24-15 Bears win.
Zavion Thomas makes a catch against the Tennessee Titans in Saturday's 24-15 Bears win. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Tyson Bagent easily could have a post-football career in broadcasting because of his ability to turn phrases and tweak the funny bone.

The Bears backup quarterback held nothing back after Saturday's 24-15 Bears preseason win over Tennessee, and it had almost nothing to do with his own 16-for-17 passing effort in the game. When Zavion Thomas scores on a 97-yard touchdown catch on his first play from scrimmage as a Bears receiver, the near-perfect passing game becomes a footnote.

"I think that was Zavion Thomas' first play in the NFL," Bagent pointed out to reporters. "So, greatest start in NFL history."

OK, it was tongue in cheek, and it was also preseason, but 97 yards, and then a 39-yard punt return later that was eerily reminiscent of a Devin Hester return, as well as a five-catch 140-yard night after missing the first two preseason games injured is about as spectacular of an entrance to the NFL preseason as a player can have. And it's also an exit because now it's on to the regular season.

Thomas got wide open with a fake on a double move, Bagent saw him. None of the defensive backs could catch up with 4.28-second 40-yard speed.

"I thought I would have been very surprised if he would have been tackled," Bagent said.

Added Thomas: "Nah, he didn't have a chance."

The play has only been judged as 10th best of this NFL preseason by NFL Network.

Thomas has made plays in practices but doesn't get the opportunity to touch the ball in full-speed situations as often as he did in this game. To call it promising is the understatement of the Bears' preseason.

"It felt amazing, just the preparation put into it, for the most part, like I've said, I'm just trying to put my team in a good position to win the game," Thomas said. "So whatever I've got to do, that's what I've got to do."

Not everything was smiles and joking. Thomas lost the ball on a jet sweep with a bad exchange between himself and Bagent.

"That was 1,000% on me," Thomas said. "I've got to be he better and I will be better."

Of course, Bagent jumped to his defense and pointed out it's a problem the Bears' offense has been experiencing as a whole.

"I think just as a whole, we've got to be better at that," said Bagent, who threw for 208 yards and two TDs. "Just those plays, those jet sweeps from under center, it's been a little bit of a stresser in the QB room."

The bad thing about a start like this for Thomas is a rookie can start to think he has it mastered. It doesn't seem like Thomas would be thinking this.

"I think that he knows what's ahead for him," Bagent said. "This is no easy ride being in the NFL no matter what position you are, no matter how fast you are, so I think he has a good understanding of there's a lot of work to be done. But it's also good to have success early on."

Thomas was already deflecting the praise coming his way afterward, pointing instead to tutelage received from veteran receiver Kalif Raymond.

"Having guys in the receiver room like the guys we have here, they make a lot of things easy for me," Thomas said. "Having guys I can look up to, like Lif, just following his footsteps. he kind of coached me through the whole thing. He made it easier for me."

He did make it look easy on his first effort. The Bears will know they have something if it's happening when games start to count.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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