Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears' offense could get a reprieve for their early-season struggles on Sunday. After all, the Denver Broncos surrendered a whopping 70 points to the Miami Dolphins last week and rank dead last by a wide margin in defensive DVOA. If Fields can't get his team back on track, though, at least the Bears will have the option of turning to a “young, promising” signal-caller as his primary backup.

Chicago reportedly promoted Tyson Bagent to its No. 2 quarterback against Denver, a position the former undrafted free agent is poised to keep as the 2023 season continues.

“…there will be a new backup quarterback behind Justin Fields. Sources say Tyson Bagent, a former undrafted rookie free agent, will assume the role of No. 2 QB moving forward,” NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday. “The decision has nothing to do with Fields' standing, but it does have to do with a young, promising QB deserving a promotion from No. 3 to No. 2.”

Bagent played college football at Division II Shepherd University in Shepherdsville, West Virginia, earning First Team All-American honors during his last two seasons. He signed with the Bears after going unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Bagent made a strong impression on Chicago during training camp and preseason play, pushing veteran Nathan Peterman—released from the team on September 20th then quickly re-signed—to be Fields' backup.

“Everything’s open right now,” coach Matt Eberflus said in late August of his team's No.2 quarterback race. “Everybody can look at the roster and see who’s in a competition. Those are all going to be open. If you close your mind off to that, then you might be missing on something. So you have to let it play itself out.”