Chicago Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent has been one of the darlings of the trade rumor mill this offseason, and the 25-year-old signal-caller openly reacted to that for the first time Wednesday.
One month after Bagent trade talk began at the NFL combine, the QB sat down with CHGO Bears Podcast and addressed how it has made him feel after inking a $10 million extension to remain in Chicago through 2027.
The two primary themes of his response, beyond the surreal nature of the subject matter, were flattery and motivation.
“All that noise during the combine stuff was not necessarily expected. But as far as this NFL thing has been, you can’t expect — everything is unexpected. It was nice to hear my bosses talk [about] me that way,” Bagent said. “But as far as my thoughts behind it, [they are] that the only thing I need to do is stay ready. And for right now, that seems to [mean] to be the best quarterback I can be for the Bears for another season.”
Bears Brass Open to Trade Calls on QB Tyson Bagent
GettyGeneral manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears.
General manager Ryan Poles spoke directly to the notion that Chicago might deal Bagent for the right offer, potentially a Day 2 pick, from one of the several teams in need of a QB.
“Obviously, the tough thing is, what [head coach] Ben [Johnson] thinks about Tyson, what I think about Tyson, what our locker room thinks about Tyson,” Poles said at the combine. “That’s a really tough decision for us. But for Tyson as well, I think he would have the opportunity to go perform for a team and do some really good things.”
Analysts floated landing spots like the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals most frequently.
Neither came to fruition, as the Cardinals released Kyler Murray and appeared content to acquire a placeholder in Gardner Minshew on a one-year contract before revisiting the position next offseason. The Falcons, meanwhile, cut Kirk Cousins and acquired Tua Tagovailoa on a league minimum contract to compete with Michael Penix Jr.
Bears Content to Keep Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent in QB Room Next Season
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Most of the rest of the QB openings filled up during free agency, with the Minnesota Vikings inking Murray and reuniting with Carson Wentz, and the New York Jets trading for Geno Smith.
The Las Vegas Raiders are likely to select Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick next month, while the Miami Dolphins secured former Green Bay Packers backup Malik Willis on a three-year contract, which he earned as a top QB2 across the last two seasons despite limited playing time.
Willis’s pathway to a starting job is the most likely for Bagent to arrive at the same destination. Injuries are commonplace in the league, and QB injuries are the most urgent, so it is possible a trade market for Bagent could reemerge at any time.
But whether he plays much in 2026 or not behind Caleb Williams should not matter with regards to the kind of interest Bagent can generate next offseason. The Bears don’t need to trade him now to get value, even though the 2027 QB draft class is much stronger and could hurt Chicago’s return to a degree if the team decides to deal Bagent next spring.
The franchise appears content to ride into next season with one of the league’s most promising QB rooms and revisit an opportunity to cash in on need at the position next year, which varies by degrees but remains ever-present.
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