Who is Tyson Bagent? Meet the undrafted rookie quarterback who just led the Chicago Bears to victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on his first career NFL start; Bagent: "Don't ever let anybody's opinion stop you from chasing what you want"
Thursday 26 October 2023 17:55, UK
The Chicago Bears needed a feel-good story. And how very Josh McDaniels and Las Vegas Raiders to let it take shape at their expense.
"How is everybody?" asked Tyson Bagent, as he addressed local media at the podium with a light and breezy nonchalance contrary to the thrill of his career landmark moments earlier.
A beanie-wearing Bagent had just made his first career NFL start, helping steer the Bears to a 30-12 victory over the Raiders and the team's first home win since September 2022 while standing in for the injured Justin Fields. The undrafted rookie finished 21 of 29 passing for 162 yards and one touchdown on his way to becoming the first Bears quarterback to win his first NFL start since Craig Krenzel against the San Francisco 49ers in October 2004.
With five minutes to play in the first quarter and the game scoreless, Bagent slid out of the pocket and pump-faked while scurrying for the first down before prolonging his wind-down as he gestured for more noise, much to the delight of a 'Who's this kid?!' Solider Field crowd that would willingly oblige.
That notably included the 50-odd friends and family members who had turned out to watch Bagent make the NFL bow he feared might not have been possible. He made a point of noting how much money their presence might deduct from this week's pay check.
"Don't ever let anybody's opinion stop you from chasing what you want," Bagent said in his post-game interview. "That's really what it boils down to for me - just the work. Tirelessly working day in and day out and never stopping. And you know, great things can be a result of that."
Having yo-yoed between their approach to Justin Fields and his development, the Bears suggested they do in fact know how to position a young quarterback to succeed as Luke Gesty dialled up a quick game with checkdown blankets and screen plays alongside D'Onta Foreman-led success to cushion Bagent. The 23-year-old was not spectacular, nor did he need to be. Bagent did his part, zipping passes out with a quick and clinical release and showing tremendous poise and a firm understanding of Getsy's route concepts while avoiding the negative plays that have hamstrung the Bears all year.
Was almost like he had done this once or twice before.
"I feel like I've played a million games at quarterback," he said.
The underdog branch to Bagent's story stems from him having played his college football for Division II Shepherd University, where only three players have been drafted by NFL teams.
It was there where he threw for an NCAA all-divisions record 159 career touchdowns while completing 1,400 passes for 17,034 yards and compiling a 43-10 record across 53 games with the Rams from 2018-2022. It was there where he began his career by completing 36 of 54 passes for 518 yards and three touchdowns in his very first game against Notre Dame College; first career starts might be his thing.
"I was able to win the job at high school in my sophomore year and then started every game through my senior year at college, so that's seven years of understanding what the week of preparation looks like," he said Sunday. "Repetition is the mother of all learners."
Before Shepherd he had attended Martinsburg High School in West Virginia, where he posted 7,800 passing yards and 112 touchdowns while leading the team to the state championship in his junior and senior seasons only to generate limited Division I interest. Bagent had opportunities with Robert Morris and Albany, but believed he belonged at a higher level, and so remained local with Shepherd where his arm would take centre stage.
"Everybody from Martinsburg that came to watch me play would say I was the greatest thing ever and throw out some crazy schools they thought offers might come from," Bagent said in 2020. "West Virginia never reached out, which stung for a little bit. I thought schools like Marshall and James Madison would recruit me, so I was surprised they didn't.
"I had Division I offers, but not ones I thought were of the most benefit to me or at as high of a level as I wanted. In high school, it was something that ate me up every day."
Sunday was a breakthrough moment. Years of shredding defenses in the shadows translated into national recognition and a timely dose of festivity for a Bears team that has been nursing fallout, awkward finger-pointing and quarterback scrutiny. Bagent would prove a refreshing change in pace with a performance that, while less-than-flashy, passed as the competent and preparation-savvy audition that can count towards earning him years of hanging around on NFL rosters.
'Arm talent runs in the family' seems a cheat of a segue, but it's right there. Bagent is the son of 28-time world arm wrestling champion and CrossFit gym owner Travis Bagent, nicknamed 'The Beast', whose father set up the 'Big Arm Bar and Grill' decked out with arm-wrestling tables not far from the Shepherd campus. If football didn't work out, the 'family business' was next in line in many ways.
"Yeah, I was basically just going to Crossfit my life away," Bagent said, discussing his plans had the NFL not come calling. "Basically, just get as ripped and jacked as I possibly could and be a teacher at Martinsburg High School."
Tyson's father had played a key role in helping his son stay in shape as the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of Bagent's junior year in college in 2020. His response was a 5,000-yard, 53-touchdown season in 2021 that attracted transfer portal interest from West Virginia and Maryland, before the need for additional credit hours towards his degree and reassurance from NFL scouts of his chances of reaching the league persuaded Bagent to see out his final year with Shepherd.
He went on to impress at the Reese's Senior Bowl, telling Pro Football Talk this week of how the experience helped him realise he was capable of competing in the NFL, before going undrafted and landing with the Bears.
"I've got a cannon," said Bagent in his post-game press conference on Sunday, prompting an eruption of laughter from media members, contrary to the straight-faced quarterback. Laughter has been in short supply in Chicago of late.
"I've got a bunch of friends, a bunch of family that understand how big this was, just really in life," he later added. "Not a lot of people get to say they started an NFL game, let alone win an NFL game."
If Fields isn't ready to go next weekend, Bagent will be. The life of a backup quarterback can be precarious, unsettled, the greatest test of staying ready. In a league that never stops moving, Bagent could be forgiven for pausing to reflect on a winning feeling like no other he will have experienced.
