Bears Rookie ‘Looks the Part’ in Unlikely Roster Pursuit, Says Insider

Tyson Bagent might be one of the biggest long shots to make the Chicago Bears’ 53-man roster heading into 2023, but the former Division II quarterback hasn’t looked out of place in the first few months of his NFL rookie season.

According to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune in his June 21 mailbag, Bagent did not receive many reps as the Bears’ No. 4 quarterback on the depth chart throughout the past month of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp and is not expected to receive many more once training camp’s first practice kicks off on July 26.

That said, Biggs also noted that the 6-foot-3, 213-pound quarterback out of Division II Shepherd did not look out of place throwing the ball alongside the Bears’ other three quarterbacks — Justin Fields, P.J. Walker and Nathan Peterman — during the spring.

“I will say this, Bagent doesn’t look out of place when he throws the ball,” Biggs wrote. “Sometimes, you see camp arms or quarterbacks in the spring, and they clearly can’t deliver the ball. Bagent looks the part. We’ll see how much action he gets in the summer and preseason. Bagent is going to have to prove he can improve while relying on mostly mental reps. It’s a difficult spot to be in, but it’s what quarterbacks at the bottom of the depth chart deal with.”

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Tyson Bagent Should Compete for QB3 Role in Camp

Despite inexperience working against him, Bagent has a fairly straightforward mission to accomplish if he wants to earn a place with the Bears beyond camp: Maximize every camp and preseason rep thrown his way this summer and soundly beat out Peterman.

The potential is certainly there for Bagent after a record-setting finish to his collegiate career. As a 15-game starter in 2022, he guided the Rams to a Division II semifinals appearance with his exceptional quarterback play, completing 400 of his 572 passes (69.9%) for 4,580 yards, 41 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He also etched his name into the Shepherd record books dozens of times over his five years, finishing with 10 different career records such as most passing yards (17,034) and most scores (171).

Meanwhile, Peterman has been trending in the opposite direction for the Bears. While he did get limited playing time toward the end of the 2022 season when both Fields and former backup Trevor Siemian were nursing injuries, the 29-year-old looked far from a seasoned veteran, completing 14 of 25 passes for 139 yards with one score and one pick. He does get at least some points for having a year of experience in Luke Getsy’s system, but that might not matter if Bagent catches on quickly and outplays him in camp.

Don’t forget, Getsy was also Bagent’s coach at the 2023 Senior Bowl and likely had some input on the team signing him as an undrafted rookie back in May. If Bagent shows him enough flashes in camp, Getsy might prefer to keep him over Peterman in hopes that he can mold Bagent into a serviceable backup for Chicago in the future.

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Which Bears QBs Will Be Showcased in Preseason?

There is no great mystery about the top two spots on the Bears’ quarterback depth chart heading into camp next month. Fields is the unquestioned starter and someone whom the Bears are hopeful can take another step forward in 2023, while Walker — who signed a two-year, $4 million deal in March — is penciled in as his backup.

As far as which quarterbacks will play in the preseason, though, it is anyone’s guess.

From a competitive standout, Bagent and Peterman getting loads of playing time in the three exhibition games make sense. They are the only two passers on the 90-man roster who are truly fighting for a place among the 53 and have the most to prove among the Bears’ four quarterbacks. Live-game reps will also be critical in evaluating whether Bagent can do more than just look the part as an NFL quarterback in practice.

Walker should also get a decent number of reps. While he is more experienced than the other two backups and would seem to have a firm hold on the QB2 role, he is still a newcomer to Getsy’s offense and must demonstrate his command over the system in the preseason to validate the Bears’ decision to install him as their primary backup. If he fails to do that, the Bears might have to consider other options behind Fields.

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