Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent is ready to help.
Ideally, with No. 1 pick Caleb Williams stepping immediately into the starting role, Bagent won’t play a snap this season, but at least he’s able to contribute. As a rookie from Division II Shepherd University last season, his head spun as he heard quarterback Justin Fields and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy bounce around ideas.
“I would sit there and wonder, ‘Man, am I ever gonna be able to engage and help out in these conversations?’” Bagent said Friday. “It’s been a huge weight lifted off my shoulders coming in this year and basing things off my experience last year… I’ve made a lot of progress as far as being a resource.
Under new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, the quarterback room is fairly inexperienced. Brett Rypien is the senior member at 28, but has just four career starts — the same as Bagent. The Bears also have undrafted rookie Austin Reed from Western Kentucky.
Bagent played five games last season when Fields dislocated his thumb. He completed 65.7% of his passes, threw three touchdown passes and six interceptions and averaged 171.8 yards per game for a 71.4 passer rating.
There was some thought that the Bears would be best served bringing in an established veteran as Williams’ backup to help mentor him, but that didn’t occur to Bagent.
“I was too busy grinding my absolute face off in the offseason,” he said. “But yeah, it feels good to know they have confidence in me and that they liked what I was able to do last year. And hopefully they’ve been able to see the strides I made in the offseason.”
Bagent also quickly clicked with Williams and laughed off some pre-draft coverage that portrayed him as high maintenance.
“Whatever the media had to say about him has been completely false,” Bagent said. “He has been a great dude in the locker room. Personality is great, and he has been working hard, so those are really the only things I care about.”