Bears QB Room Set: Williams and Bagent signed for the future |
Dustin Riese
· · 3 hours ago
Before we dive into the big news of the day, there were some other notes that have come out of Halas Hall. First, the bad news: after going down with an injury Sunday against the Bills, 26-year-old cornerback Terrell Smith is set to miss the entire 2025 NFL season with a torn pectoral tendon.
That is a tough break for a guy who was building a strong case to be one of the backup defensive backs, and an already battered group suffers another blow. The good news of the day came after it was announced that the Bears worked out three running backs, including Royce Freeman, and the Bears have reached a deal. Freeman hasn't played since 2023, but of the three running backs, he had the most experience, and it was clear that he was something the Bears valued. Now it's time for the great news of the day. Chicago and third-year quarterback Tyson Bagent have come to terms on a contract extension that will keep him in Chicago for the foreseeable future. The reported deal is a two-year, $10 million extension with a chance to earn up to $6 million more in incentives. What makes this deal a critical signing is that it all but solidifies who the Bears' backup quarterback will be this season, as Bagent was battling for that spot with veteran Case Keenum. Not only that, but the Bears now have both Williams and Bagent for the next three seasons, as both of them can learn and grow into this offense. First and foremost, we want to congratulate Bagnet on his contract as he has put on an impressive showing in the preseason thus far. Coming from a Division II college program at Shepherd University and doing what he has done in his two NFL seasons is nothing short of amazing, and that goes to show you his nose to the grindstone attitude and work ethic have paid off. While many expected Bagent to win the backup job over Keenum when camp began, it wasn't a foregone conclusion until after the first two preseason games played out. In those games, you have a guy who has completed 63.4% of his passes for 299 yards and two scores while also using his legs to make things happen. It will be interesting to see if he plays against the Chiefs on Friday now that Ben Johnson has announced that his starters will indeed play in that game. Initially, the Bears backed up to Justin Fields in 2023, Bagent was thrown into the fire early as Fields went down with an injured hand and missed four games. Bagent started those four games and proceeded to post a 2-2 record, which is all you can ask for from a backup. He wound up throwing for 859 yards in those games, with three touchdown passes while adding 109 yards on the ground and two scores across 23 carries. That is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback, and one that showed he can play at this level if needed. The one downfall with Bagent that season was the turnovers, as he had six turnovers compared to five total scores. A lot of that wasn't his fault, given how poor the Bears' offensive line was, but he was a raw talent during his rookie season, which was exposed that year. Now in his third season, Bagent has grown into a much better player, and this offseason is a prime example of what a good coach can do for a young player. Sure, you saw signs of improvement last season, but the strides he has made in just three months with Johnson are incredible and were all the Bears needed to see to give him this extension. Tyson Bagent broke down in tears after signing a $10M extension.
The UDFA Chicago Bears backup revealed his dad didn’t have water until high school pic.twitter.com/eHeVEsvGNX
