Tyson Bagent had already made his case on the field. In Chicago’s 38-0 preseason blowout over the Buffalo Bills on August 17, 2025, he went 13 of 22 for 197 yards and a touchdown, leading three straight scoring drives to put the game away. He looked every bit the reliable backup a playoff-contending team needs. Three days later, Tyson gave Bears fans something they did not expect.
Tyson Bagent Gets Emotional Discussing First Big Contract
On Wednesday, Bagent signed a two-year $10 million contract extension with the Chicago Bears, with a maximum value of $16 million in incentives, keeping him in Chicago through the 2027 season.
At the press conference that followed, he could barely hold himself together.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but my dad is my right-hand man, and he didn’t even have running water until he was in high school,” Bagent told reporters.
He continued: “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.”
His father, Travis Bagent, is a world arm-wrestling champion who grew up in West Virginia. For Tyson, the money meant more than personal security. It was about giving back to the people who sacrificed for him.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) chats with quarterback Tyson Bagent (17) during training camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
General Manager Ryan Poles called him “one of the hardest workers on our team” and “a catalyst for positive influence throughout our entire organization.”
Head coach Ben Johnson added that Bagent “epitomizes what we are building at the Chicago Bears.”
The celebration did not stop at the press conference. His teammates cheered as Bagent broke down the huddle at training camp after signing the deal. Two days later, he capped off a remarkable week by completing a 17-point fourth-quarter comeback to give the Bears a 29-27 preseason victory at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Bagent Stays Put in Chicago Despite Offseason Trade Noise
The contract brought security, but it did not quiet the noise around his future. Just months earlier, his name had been floated as a potential starter over Caleb Williams. That storyline carried well into the 2026 offseason.
Ahead of the NFL Combine, the Arizona Cardinals were reported to be intrigued by Bagent as part of their quarterback search, and Bears GM Ryan Poles confirmed the team had received calls. The Jets were also considered a potential landing spot, but Chicago’s asking price of a second-round pick proved too steep, and neither team followed through.
Bagent addressed the reports directly, saying: “I would say all of that noise during the Combine stuff was not necessarily expected. But the only thing I need to do is stay ready. For right now, that seems to be to be the best quarterback I can be for the Bears for another season.”
He has also made his bigger ambitions clear. “There is no running from it at this point, it’s coming. That’s where my head is at. I want to be ready to go at any moment,” Bagent recently said
Bagent enters 2026 locked in as Caleb Williams‘ backup in Chicago. The Bears and Panthers open the season against each other in Week 1, a matchup between two teams that both won their divisions and reached the playoffs in 2025, with both losing to the Los Angeles Rams. It sets the stage for an early measuring-stick game between two rising programs with plenty still to prove.
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