Athan Kaliakmanis Tyson Bagent Trade Bears News Bears Quarterbacks
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Former Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis.
The Chicago Bears have all three of their quarterbacks under contract for the 2026 NFL season, but that isn’t stopping them from bringing in an intriguing QB prospect who could potentially replace current backup Tyson Bagent.
According to Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante, the Bears will host former Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis as one of their local prospect visits in advance of the 2026 NFL draft, increasing speculation that they could trade Bagent this offseason.
“The #Bears will host Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis as one of their local prospect visits, per source,” Infante wrote March 14 on X. “8,604 passing yards and 65 total TDs in college between stints at Minnesota and Rutgers. Antoich, [Illinois], native.”
Since Kaliakmanis is an Illinois native, the Bears are allowed to host him for their local prospect day and meet with him at Halas Hall without expending an official top 30 visit, providing them with an additional opportunity to scout quarterback depth in the class.
Kaliakmanis will also meet with several other NFL teams during the pre-draft process.
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, he has already met formally with the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals and has top 30 visits scheduled with the Bengals and Washington Commanders. He will also attend the local prospect days for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles this spring, giving him plenty of pre-draft exposure.
The 2026 NFL draft will officially begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 23.
Athan Kaliakmanis Gradually Improved as Big Ten QB
Kaliakmanis did not exactly take the Big Ten Conference by storm between his first two seasons at Minnesota and his latter two seasons at Rutgers, but the 22-year-old showed gradual improvement across his four seasons that has evidently piqued NFL interest.
As a Gopher, Kaliakmanis dealt with inconsistency as much as growth. He did not start his entire freshman season in 2022, but he had quality size (6-foot-4, 205 pounds) and a strong arm that he put on full display when he led Minnesota to a comeback win over Wisconsin, going 19-of-29 for 319 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Kaliasmanis was less impressive as a full-time starter in 2023, completing a career-low 53.1% of his passes for 1,838 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine picks as the Gophers went 6-7. There was also reported friction between him and Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck, which emerged the following spring when Kaliakmanis announced he would transfer.
Things were steadier for Kaliakmanis in New Jersey. He improved his passing yardage (2,696) and touchdown (18) totals and cut down his interceptions (seven) in his first season with the Scarlet Knights. He then seemed to turn a corner in 2025, completing 62.2% of his passes for 3,124 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven picks — all career-bests.
Could Bears Trade Tyson Bagent Before 2026 Season?
Kaliakmanis is not the first quarterback prospect that has drawn attention from the Bears during the 2026 pre-draft process. Cole Payton, former North Dakota State quarterback, told reporters at the NFL Combine that he met formally with the Bears.
Regardless of Chicago’s quarterback prospect interests, though, there is evidence that they are at least considering a trade that would send Bagent to another team in 2026.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles confirmed at the combine in late February that the team has received “a few calls” from teams inquiring about a trade for Bagent. Head coach Ben Johnson also acknowledged the outside interest in his backup quarterback, speaking glowingly about Bagent and what he brings to the table for Chicago’s roster.
“I love Tyson, and that’s one that kind of pulls at your heartstrings a little bit because he is someone you care about so deeply, and he’s a helluva football player that, at some point, you want to see him have a chance to do it himself,” Johnson said February 24.
The Bears also dumped more fuel on the speculative fire when they signed a two-year extension with veteran quarterback Case Keenum — their No. 3 option in the room — in the first wave of free agency. While Keenum played a valuable mentorship role in 2025, Chicago’s willingness to extend him for two years suggests a potential shakeup at No. 2.