Trade talks between the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals regarding backup quarterback Tyson Bagent went quiet over a month ago. This week’s NFL draft could pump the volume back up.
The Cardinals were rumored to be kicking the tires on Bagent when the NFL scouting combine was going down, and Bears general manager Ryan Poles confirmed that other teams had checked in on the three-year backup.
Arizona was said to be the most persistent caller, but the talks never produced a deal. Chicago’s asking price was widely viewed as too steep, and the Cardinals shifted their focus toward finding a long-term answer in the draft. Most of that focus has since turned to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on April 20 that the Cardinals and New York Jets are the two teams to watch for Simpson. Schefter wrote that the Los Angeles Rams had been eyeing Simpson with the No. 29 pick until they shipped that selection to Kansas City in early March for cornerback Trent McDuffie. The deal all but removed the Rams from the Simpson sweepstakes unless they take a bigger swing with their remaining No. 13 pick.
Could Bears QB Tyson Bagent Get Traded to the Arizona Cardinals During the 2026 NFL Draft?
GettyCould trade talks surrounding quarterback Tyson Bagent oick up for the Arizona Cardinals again during the 2026 NFL Draft?
There have been a handful of teams rumored to be interested in drafting Simpson, and some believe that if Arizona can’t snag him, Bagent could be back on their radar.
“After making that trade in early March, after the NFL Combine, the Rams essentially put themselves out of the running to land Simpson (unless they take a big swing with the 13th overall pick). That opened the door for other interested teams to have a clearer path toward landing Simpson in the draft,” Kole Noble of A to Z Sports wrote on April 20, adding:
The Rams aren’t fully out of the conversation and the Pittsburgh Steelers lurk as well in the first-round to potentially land Simpson. And then you have the Jets with the 16th and 33rd overall picks. All of which are landing spots for Simpson that all pick before the Cardinals are on the clock with the 34th overall pick. The only other viable option for Arizona would be to trade up into the first-round ahead of the Jets and hope the Rams and Steelers pass on Simpson. Chicago could even be a trade back team to watch with the 25th overall pick. If that plan fails to materialize and another team takes Simpson off the board, the Cardinals could easily pivot back to Bagent and try to work out a deal with the Bears.
Simpson’s name has been all over the board in draft analysts’ projections, and the Cardinals still have no clear cut answer at QB. Depending on how the draft board falls, interest in trading for the Bears backup should intensify.
Interest in Bagent Is Easy to Understand
Bagent, now entering Year 4, has a 2-2 record as a starter. The 26-year-old went undrafted out of Division II Shepherd in 2023 and has logged meaningful snaps for Chicago since entering the league. He is under contract through 2026 on a two-year, $10 million deal, which is part of what makes him attractive to a team still sorting out its quarterback situation after Kyler Murray.
Over his three-year career, Bagent has completed 66.4% of his passes, and while his touchdown-to-interception ration isn’t the greatest at 2 TDs and 4 INTs, he also has two rushing scores under his belt and the confidence to go up against anyone.
The Bears have made it clear that they value Bagent immensely, but second-year coach Ben Johnson has also made it clear the front office plans to build through the draft, and dealing a backup for draft capital would align with that logic.
Thus, it’ll be interesting to see where to former Alabama QB lands. If Simpson comes off the board before No. 34, don’t be surprised if the phones at Halas Hall start ringing again.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Desperate NFC Squad Could Reignite Tyson Bagent Trade Talks During 2026 NFL Draft appeared first on Heavy Sports.