Tyson Bagent was never supposed to be here.
The Chicago Bears rewarded their QB2 with a two-year, $10 million contract extension that has a max value of $16 million with incentives.
Bagent spoke to the media and was overcome with emotion as he discussed his new deal, while also thinking of his father.
“My dad is my right-hand man. He didn’t even have running water until he was in high school,” Bagent said as he fought back tears.
“There’s definitely a lot of things and people that I think I could certainly help with this gift I’ve been blessed with. Just little things like that. I don’t really know anybody back at home with any money.
“It feels good. It’s certainly a weight off my shoulders and my family’s shoulders. It definitely means a lot.”
Fellow Bears QB Caleb Williams, who impressed in his preseason debut against the Bills, shared his two-word reaction to Bagent’s emotional moment.
“!!! Big Time!”, Williams posted on Instagram over a graphic of Bagent being extended.
Bagent played at Division II Shepherd University in West Virginia, going undrafted in 2023.
He signed with the Bears as an UDFA and beat the odds by making the initial 53-man roster. Bagent caught everyone’s attention when he was thrust into the spotlight for an injured Justin Fields and handled himself decently well.
In four starts, the undrafted rookie threw for 859 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. The Bears went 2–2 with Bagent behind center.
The numbers themselves were nothing to write home about, but the eye test proved that Bagent belonged. And that he was a winner.
His first contract was a $25,000 signing bonus to go along with the $1.5 million he made over the last two seasons.
The Bears then went along and gave him life-changing money to him and his family right before the start of the 2025 season to be the backup to starting quarterback Caleb Williams.
The storied franchise hadn’t handed out a contract extension to a current quarterback on the roster in more than 10 years—until now.
The last quarterback to receive a contract extension was Jay Cutler all the way back in 2014.
Bagent was in the last year of his rookie deal and was set to become a restricted free agent after this season. Strike that from the record, as he will now call the Windy City home for at least two more years after this one.
Bagent has impressed the coaching staff and front office throughout the preseason, most recently in Chicago’s 38-0 win over the Buffalo Bills, when he completed 13 of 22 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown.
General manager Ryan Poles mentioned on the broadcast that, “there isn’t a harder worker on this football team than Tyson Bagent.”
First-year head coach Ben Johnson also spoke glowingly of his hard-nosed quarterback earlier in camp.
“Man, he’s been phenomenal,” Johnson said. “I mean, he’s smart as a whip. Appreciate the seriousness and intent that he brings every time he walks into a room.
“Meeting room, walk-through, it doesn’t matter. He’s locked in. He’s focused. I think his teammates feel that from him.
“Love the fact, he’ll throw the ball, and he keeps working through his progressions just so it goes home with exactly where everyone’s going to be in case he had to move on.
“I think he’s taken this seriously. He’s preparing the right way. And I couldn’t be more thrilled that he’s here with us.”
As was evident by Bagent’s reaction to his new deal, it means the world to him. That’s the type of player you can build a winning culture around. The type of player you want in the locker room.
Bagent fits the bill—and luckily for Chicago, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
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