Ask Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, and he'd tell fans Tyson Bagent is a starting-caliber NFL quarterback. If trade rumors had yielded a move this offseason, we might be finding out if that's true with Bagent in another uniform heading into this season.
The Bears have made it abundantly clear how highly they regard Bagent, and as trade interest mounted, the likely asking price was a little too rich for any interested teams. Which isn't to say he'll never be traded; it just isn't happening unless the situation changes dramatically.
If Bagent wants to leave the Bears, he'll probably have to do it when he hits free agency in 2028.
Bagent is clearly one of the better backups in the NFL, and Gilberto Manzano of SI.com has him at No. 7 in his new ranking of the league's No. 2 signal callers.
"Bagent might have gotten some starting consideration from other teams because his name came up in trade rumors this offseason. But coach Ben Johnson was reluctant to part ways with the 2023 undrafted free agent, which is indicative of how he views him as a quarterback."
"Bagent has a strong arm and enough mobility to extend plays. He hasn’t been needed as much since Caleb Williams arrived in 2024, but he had an impressive stretch as a rookie when Justin Fields was sidelined for four games. Bagent went 2–2, completing 65.7% of his passes for 859 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions."
Tyson Bagent has an argument for being higher in new backup QB ranking
Manzano's ranking is a little, let's say, wonky in spots.
No. 3-ranked Tua Tagovailoa is in line to be the Atlanta Falcons' Week 1 starter as Michael Penix works his way back from a torn ACL. So to call him a backup in the sense we think of it is odd, leaving aside any issue with where he's ranked.
No. 5 is rookie Fernando Mendoza, who may or may not start Week 1 for the Las Vegas Raiders. To label him a backup in the strictest sense also lands weirdly. If Kirk Cousins were considered the backup for the Raiders, he would have a case to be ranked No. 5.
Read more: Fantasy analyst puts Bears' top pass catchers in pre-draft categories
Take Tagovailoa and Mendoza out or move them down, and suddenly Bagent is top-five in Manzano's ranking. That may seem aggressive, but Johnson's sentiment, combined with this offseason's trade rumors, shows how the league may see the product of Division II Shepherd University as one of the five best backup quarterbacks in the NFL.
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