Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields suffered a brutal hand injury in the team's Week 7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. With Fields now poised to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Bears will turn to undrafted free agent Tyson Bagent.
Fields officially suffered a dislocated finger in the Vikings loss. While his X-rays came back negative, Fields is already considered doubtful for Week 7 against the Raiders, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Bears and Fields are going to try to avoid surgery to fix the finger injury, but the quarterback's return will be reliant on his ability to grip and throw the football.
When Fields went down against the Vikings, UDFA Tyson Bagent was thrown into the fire. In his first appearance at the NFL level, Bagent completed 10-of-14 passes for 83 yards and an interception. Now, with Fields doubtful for Week 7's Raiders matchup, Bagent is in line to make his first NFL start.
Due to an unfortunate injury, it only took seven weeks for Tyson Bagent to go from UDFA to starting NFL quarterback. But who exactly is the Bears' Justin Fields injury replacement?
Bagent's Background
Bagent played his college football at DII Shepard University. It didn't take long for him to make an impact, as the quarterback became the Rams' QB1 his freshman season. From that moment, Bagent didn't look back and made a name for himself at the college football level.
The quarterback appeared in 53 games with Shepard, going a robust 43-10 overall. He threw for 17,034 yards and 159 touchdowns. His 159 touchdown passes are the most of any quarterback at the college football level, DI included.
During his time with the Rams, Bagent was a two-time First-Team DII All-American and a recipient of the Harlan Hill trophy; given to the best player at the DII level. He was twice the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Offensive Player of the Year.
While Bagent had DI opportunities, he decided to remain with Shepard to finish his college career. It allowed him to set even more records and extend his legacy with the Rams.
Bears buy the lottery ticket
However, for all his stats, Bagent was still playing at the DII level. While he was invited to the NFL Combine, his level of competition surely hurt Bagent's NFL potential in the eyes of many scouts. Still, Chicago liked what they saw and decided to take a chance on the DII star.
When they signed Bagent, the Bears had veterans PJ Walker and Nathan Peterman on the roster as potential Justin Fields' backup options. While neither are world beaters, their experience was expected to beat out Bagent's raw talent.
But when the preseason rolled around, Bagent was given an opportunity and ran with it. On the surface, his 156 scoreless passing yards aren't that exciting. However, the UDFA was able to elevate the offense whenever he was on the field. Through the first two games of the preseason, Bagent had the second-highest rookie QB grade from Pro Football Focus. In the third preseason game, he led the Bears down the field on a 42-yard scoring drive.
With his performance in the preseason, the Bears felt confident moving on from Walker and released him. Now, Bagent has a sole grip on Chicago's QB2 role and is Fields' direct backup.
Bears need Bagent
Chicago still has Nathan Peterman on their roster. However, he has bounced up and down from the practice squad. The Bears seem committed to giving Bagent an opportunity. With him getting his first taste of NFL action when Fields went down, Chicago is only looking for him to develop that experience.
There are plenty of former DII players who have gone on to succeed at the NFL level. Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler and Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill are two of the most explosive players in the game. However, playing quarterback, there will be a microscope on Tyson Bagent.
Chicago will want to see if Bagent can handle the spotlight. While the Bears are still very much Fields' team, it's not like they've been winning many games in his tenure. If Bagent handles the backup role admirably, then at the worst the Bears have found their QB2.
But questions have been swirling on Fields' future with the team. Chicago is on track to have two top five picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. A quarterback could be ripe for the picking at that time. A breakout Bagent performance(s) could change Chicago's plan.
For now, Bagent's goal is to replace Fields and help the Bears move the ball offensively. But his journey from DII to the biggest stage shows how much Chicago believes in him. Now in line for his first NFL start, Tyson Bagent will have an opportunity to prove that no matter the college competition, he can still play quarterback for the Chicago Bears.
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