Bears' Tyson Bagent has unique opportunity as well-deserved top backup

Now that the Chicago Bears have set their initial 53-man roster, there's an opportunity to take a look at one of the most unique stories on the team: the quarterback room. There was never a doubt or hesitation that this year's No. 1 pick, former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, would be the team's starting quarterback, but the decision to name Tyson Bagent the top backup, and not keep a third or a longer-tenured veteran on the depth chart, is a telling sign.

Last season, Bagent represented a breath of fresh air at a time when Bears fans didn't know the future of the position. Filling in for an injured Justin Fields and playing in a total of five games last year, Bagent had to work with stagnate and struggling offense, going 2-2 in four starts, throwing for 859 yards, three touchdowns, six interceptions, and completing 65.7% of his passes and racking up two wins.

Bagent, an undrafted quarterback out of Shepherd who set the collegiate record across all levels for most career touchdown passes (159), has not taken the road less traveled, he's taken the road only paved for him. Supported by his world-famous arm-wrestling champion father, Bagent has never given in to the narrative as an undrafted small-time college quarterback, and instead he's earned every opportunity during his young NFL tenure. Most players in his position and background are usually rarely heard, as Bagent became just the fourth Division-II quarterback to start a game in the NFL in the past 20 years, the only other notable name of the group is Jon Kitna.

Being named the team's top backup this season shouldn't come as much as a surprise, seeing how Bagent hit the ground running in his rookie season last year. After beating out veterans P.J. Walker and Nathan Peterman last season, Bagent proved he belonged and wasn't just here for a momentary spot in the spotlight.

With Williams fully entrenched as the starter this season, common belief was the Bears could be inclined to bring in a veteran to help smooth out the transition from college to the NFL, but the team chose Bagent as their top backup. Even with Brett Rypien, a six-year veteran, as part of the team during training camp and the preseason, Bagent beat out the competition and the Bears regime elected to keep just him and Williams in their quarterback room.

Bagent has earned his moment and earned the trust of his teammates, coaches, and decision makers inside Halas Hall. It's a unique situation to have the second-year pro out of small Shepherd University backing up the former Heisman Trophy winner in Williams. Many teams would believe that a veteran is a must when it comes to backing up the young high-profiled player. Even before this current regime of head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles, the Bears had Andy Dalton backing up former first-round pick Fields, and veteran Mike Glennon was brought in to support former No. 2 pick Mitch Trubisky.

If there's one thing about the team that Eberflus and Poles are building, it's that every player on the 53-man roster has earned it. They aren't giving into calls for a bigger-name backup quarterback or another recognized pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat, they're providing opportunities for the players who have proved themselves worthy in training camp and the preseason.

The best part about the story and career thus far of Bagent is while he's in a unique opportunity, he wants more. There was no hiding it to the "Hard Knocks" cameras that he believes he can do more in the NFL and while he wouldn't come out and say it directly, Bagent believes he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL, and he may very well have a case. During the 2024 preseason, Bagent ran away with the top backup job, throwing for 207 yards, two touchdowns on 25 attempts, completing 68% of his passes, adding 15 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground to showcase his versatility.

Humble in his approach to the NFL and his current opportunity, confident in his ability to do even more, the Chicago Bears have something special in Bagent. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him become a hot commodity for quarterback-needy teams as the 2024 season rolls along, but the team has two young gunslingers, writing their own respective stories, and taking the ride of the NFL experience side-by-side.

Maybe that's another reason to be excited, two young quarterbacks have an opportunity to flip this franchise on its head and bring success that many have been yearning for. He may not be conventional, he may not be well-known, but Tyson could very well be the most underrated, and most intriguing, backup quarterback in the NFL, and he's earned his respect.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears' Tyson Bagent has unique opportunity as well-deserved top backup