Joint Practices Show Chicago Bears Have A Backup QB Situation Brewing

The Chicago Bears went into May knowing what their quarterback depth chart would look like. Justin Fields was the starter. P.J. Walker would be his backup. Nathan Peterman returned as the likely emergency third-string option. However, GM Ryan Poles loves competition. He wanted to add another piece to the mix to make things interesting. He ended up signing Tyson Bagent as an undrafted free agent. People didn't react much to the news. The QB was a small school wonder out of Shepherd that threw for over 17,000 yards and 159 touchdowns in his career. Both are Division II records.

Of course, stats at that level don't mean much. His 6'3 size, decent mobility, and solid accuracy as a passer likely sold him to the Bears. His name wasn't mentioned much during the first couple weeks of training camp as most of the attention was on Fields. However, that changed in the preseason opener against Tennessee. Bagent looked surprisingly efficient, completing all but one of his passes, including a big 4th and 7 conversion for a first down.

That by itself isn't enough to warrant conversations. However, what Bagent has done over the past 48 hours in joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts suggests it might be time.

The Chicago Bears should elevate Bagent.

They already know what Peterman is by this point. He has no future worth considering. He's a low-end NFL backup. Nothing more. Bagent has developmental ability. This isn't a typical undrafted rookie with size or arm issues. He has enough of both to prove he can survive in the NFL. While he's not a threat to Walker as the primary backup this year, he's done enough to outright replace Peterman at this point. This team is about earning your way up the depth chart, and Bagent has done that.

It has been a long time since the Chicago Bears signed an undrafted QB with this kind of potential. Probably not since Mike Tomczak way back in 1985. Before Bagent enters that conversation, there is a long way to go, but the building blocks are there. It comes down to whether head coach Matt Eberflus is willing to give him the opportunity to keep growing. Either way, this is a fun little subplot to training camp for the Bears. Fans haven't had many chances to genuinely get excited for an undrafted QB before.