Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent is among the NFL’s best success stories of the last few years as an undrafted free agent rookie in 2023 out of D-II Shepherd University in West Virginia — but for every Bagent, there are multiple stories that wind up like that of Austin Reed.
The Bears signed Reed as an undrafted free agent out of Western Kentucky the year after bringing on Bagent, but Reed never elevated to the QB2 spot, which Bagent did and still holds. In fact, Reed has never taken a regular-season snap in the league.
He excelled during each of the past two preseasons, but Chicago cut him last August and decided on Case Keenum as its QB3 behind Caleb Williams and Bagent for the 2025 campaign. Reed did not remain with the Bears as a member of the practice squad
Reed wound up in the UFL as the starting quarterback of the Dallas Renegades this spring. His debut was literally record-breaking, as he tallied 376 passing yards to set the all-time mark for a UFL contest. He completed 27-of-40 pass attempts in that outing and also connected on three touchdowns.
Things were looking up for the gunslinging 26-year-old QB, but they have since taken a considerable turn for the worse.
Austin Reed’s Inaccuracy, Turnover Issues in UFL Render NFL Comeback Unlikely
GettyFormer Chicago Bears quarterback Austin Reed.
Since his hot start, which included nine TD passes against just a single interception, Reed has chucked six INTs to just four scores amid a three-game skid in Dallas.
He continues to lead the UFL with 1,360 passing yards across six starts, and his 13 TD passes are also tops in the league. However, Reed’s seven interceptions are also the most of any quarterback and he has completed just 56.9 percent of his passes.
That inaccuracy against a lower level of defensive competition is a major red flag for any NFL team that might be interested in bringing Reed into the fold. More than one turnover per game is also problematic, as the contemporary NFL values accuracy and limiting mistakes above almost all else.
Gone are the days of Brett Favre when a quarterback could earn a Pro Bowl nod despite leading the league in interceptions. Favre did that twice with 24 INTs in 1993 and 22 INTs in 2008.
Case Keenum, Miller Moss Both on Bears’ Roster Behind Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Williams’ career completion rate across 34 starts leaves something to be desired at 60.3 percent, which includes a mark of just 58.1 percent last year.
In fairness, his targets dropped upwards of 30 passes last season and most, if not all, of those came off the hand of Williams. Next Gen Stats estimated drops cost Williams 404 yards and the impact on his completion percentage would have been significant if Chicago’s pass-catchers had collectively dropped merely the league average in 2025.
That said, Williams has done an excellent job protecting the football, throwing just 13 regular-season interceptions in his career. By contrast, Reed has not shown himself an accurate enough steward of the football in the UFL to make sense as a reserve who might, at any point, need to play meaningful snaps in an NFL game.
Reed’s best chance to catch on with a team this summer probably remains in Chicago, where Keenum is still part of the team heading into his age-38 campaign. However, the Bears also inked undrafted free agent rookie QB Miller Moss following the draft.
If Moss and/or Keenum remains with the Bears by August’s end, Reed’s chances of an NFL return will be decidedly slim.
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