Cole Payton
Getty
Cole Payton throws a pass during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Caleb Williams is the unquestioned starter for the Chicago Bears, the franchise’s long-awaited answer. But there’s a wee bit of drama brewing behind him, as backup Tyson Bagent’s value seems to be rising fast.
Bagent, the former Division II long shot who turned into a trusted No. 2 for Chicago, has drawn legitimate trade interest — enough that Bears GM Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson have acknowledged it publicly.
The Bears inked Bagent to a two-year extension worth $10 million last offseason, and his team-friendly salary coupled with his yet-untapped potential have understandably made him a hot topic.
This also means that every quarterback the Bears show remote interest in moving forward is worth paying attention to. Enter Cole Payton, quarterback from North Dakota State, who the Bears had a formal meeting with, according to Harrison Graham of Chat Sports.
Cole Payton Combine Results: Former NDSU QB Went Off
RAS.football
Cole Payton is a QB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.97 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 4 out of 1054 QB from 1987 to 2026.
Pending bench and agiliites, splits projected.
t.co/eeREzkpmZm
Payton helped himself and his draft stock quite a bit in Indianapolis with one of the better all-around performances among quarterbacks at the combine. At 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, his official testing numbers were ridiculously strong across the board. Check them out (h/t Sports Illustrated):
4.56-second 40-yard dash
1.57-second 10-yard split
40-inch vertical jump
10-foot-10 broad jump
7.12 three-cone drill
4.36 short shuttle
A 40-inch vertical at quarterback in particular is some rare air, so Payton will likely garner loads of interest moving forward.
In 2025, his first full season as North Dakota State’s starter, Payton completed 161 of 224 passes — that’s a 71.9 percent completion percentage — for 2,719 yards, 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He added 136 carries for 777 rushing yards and 13 rushing TDs.
You’d be hard-pressed to find many folks who think Payton can be a starter in the NFL, but a serviceable backup is a definite possibility.
Here’s what NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein had to say about the NDSU signal-caller in his draft analysis:
Payton is a dual-threat, single-season FCS starter with good size. He’s a lefty with shoddy mechanics and subpar arm talent, but he still manages to deliver throws with touch to all three levels. He lacks drive velocity to dot throws into tight windows and might not have the timing needed to outfox pro zone defenders, though. He’s not shifty but excels when short yardage is needed and has build-up speed for explosive runs once he gets rolling. Payton projects as a QB3 and will require packaged plays to take advantage of his rushing ability until he proves himself a functional pocket passer.
More on Why the Chicago Bears Could Be Interested in NDSU QB Cole Payton as Potential Tyson Bagent Replacement
Cole Payton
GettyFormer NDSU QB Cole Payton could land with the Chicago Bears if they need to replace Tyson Bagent.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s offense leans heavily on structure, timing and defined reads — and that’s an environment where a young QB can grow without being overwhelmed. Payton’s combination of size, athleticism and efficiency is an intriguing one, and if there’s a team willing to pay what the Bears are asking in a trade for Bagent — some insiders are saying that’s a second-rounder or its equivalent — Chicago is going to need a replacement.
The Bears are up against the salary cap right now, too, so if they do have to replace Bagent, they’ll need a cost-effective solution.
Bears quarterbacks coach JT Barrett is a former dual-threat quarterback himself, and he understands how to mold and teach young, athletic QBs. Payton likely wouldn’t be ready to serve as a QB2 right away, but few thought the undrafted Bagent would, either, and he did just fine as a rookie. It’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out.