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The Chicago Bears may have Caleb Williams as the future at quarterback, but the dedication of his backup, Tyson Bagent, led general manager Ryan Poles to give him a reported two-year, $10 million contract extension.
That decision brought Bagent to tears during his press conference on Wednesday.
Of course, this isn’t a record-breaking contract, but with a maximum value of $16 million including incentives, Bagent couldn’t contain how he felt about earning such a large sum of money.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but my dad is my right-hand man,” Bagent told reporters while wiping away tears. “He didn’t have running water until high school, so there’s definitely a lot of people I can certainly help with this gift I’ve been blessed with. It’s certainly a weight off my shoulders and my family’s shoulders.”
The 25-year-old was an undrafted free agent out of Shepherd, a Division II college, in 2023. He worked his way up the Bears’ depth chart during training camp that year, and earned himself the backup role behind Justin Fields.
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When Fields went down with injury that year, Bagent started four games, and he won his first for Chicago. He became the first undrafted Division II quarterback to start in a game since 1950.
Bagent went 2-2 over that span, but when the Bears had the first overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, it was clear where Poles and the organization were going with it.
Williams was drafted out of USC to be their hopeful franchise quarterback, but Bagent once again shined in training camp to keep his backup role.
However, entering this season was a different animal because a new sheriff — or rather, a new head coach — was in Chicago.
Ben Johnson, the whiz offensive coordinator from the Detroit Lions, accepted the head coach position. So, Bagent had to prove his worth in this year’s training camp to solidify his role behind Williams.
Not only did he accomplish the mission, but his work ethic and production have clearly impressed the organization.
During the Bears’ 38-0 preseason rout of the Buffalo Bills this past weekend, Bagent led Chicago to three straight scoring drives after Williams delivered a strong outing under center. Bagent went 13-of-22 for 196 yards with a passing touchdown in the victory.
Bagent knows that he will need to be ready at a moment’s notice if Williams can’t fulfill his quarterback duties during the 2025 season. But for now, the young man is grateful that his hard work has quite literally paid off.
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