The Bears rounded out their pre-season schedule with a 24-15 victory over the Titans on Saturday as backup quarterback Tyson Bagent stole the show, though there was another star who caught the eye
Chicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas
Chicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas left the Tennessee Titans defense with no chance as he blitzed down the touchline for a 97-yard touchdown
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Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas said the Tennessee Titans' defense "didn't have a chance" of stopping him on Saturday night as he starred on his pre-season debut in a 24-15 win.
The rookie third-round pick, 22, showed exactly why the Bears took a punt on him in the 2026 NFL Draft as he racked up 140 yards on five receptions with a 39-yard punt return, including a stunning 97-yard touchdown on Chicago's opening play that left the opposition defense chasing shadows.
Elsewhere, the Mauigoa brothers became NFL rivals for the first time as they faced off in New York on Friday, with the Giants' rookie landing a humbling hit on his sibling during a Jets defeat, while Jalen Nailor was blamed by Klint Kubiak for Fernando Mendoza's second preseason interception in the Las Vegas Raiders' defeat to the San Francisco 49ers on the same night.
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At Nissan Stadium on Saturday, however, all eyes were on Thomas as he made his preseason debut for the Bears, and he certainly didn't disappoint.
With 5 catches on 5 targets, 140 receiving yards, 1 TD, 39-yard KR, and 22-yard PR, the former Mississippi State and LSU star proved that he can more than hold his own at the professional level, though it was his 97-yard touchdown that really got tongues wagging.
On first down from their own 3, Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent dropped back into the end zone and locked onto Thomas split wide to his right, who, after initially hesitating to make the Titans' secondary freeze, came back for the underthrown pass before bursting into the open and sprinting down the sideline for the touchdown.
As the third-fastest player timed at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Thomas left the Titans defense with next to no chance of catching him, though, as he explained in his post-match press conference, he always knew this would be the case.
"Nah. He didn't have a chance," Thomas said with a grin on his face when asked whether Titans safety Jerrick Reed II, who came closest to catching him, was ever going to be able to stop him.
His new teammate, Bagent, 26, shared the same opinion when recalling their 97-yard touchdown, lauding him for his speed and noting that it was ultimately the reason Thomas was brought onto the team.
"Safety came down, little mishap in the protection adjustment that we made, but being able to get the ball up gives Zavion a chance. Then you're able to see that speed after that, which is a big reason why he's here," Bagent said. "I would have been very surprised if he got tackled."
Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent
Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent also shone in Saturday's victory over the Titans
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As for the backup quarterback himself, he also shone as he made the most of his opportunity, completing 16 of 17 passes for 208 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, and rushing twice for 21 yards.
Bagent also lost a fumble, but it was a minor stain on what was otherwise a standout performance for the former five-year starter at Shepherd, who certainly proved that he is up for the challenge of dislodging veteran Case Keenum from the No. 2 quarterback job behind Caleb Williams to open the season.
Having also featured in the 27-9 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals six days prior, Bagent ends his pre-season completing 29 of 39 pass attempts for 377 yards with a 3:1 TD: INT while adding three carries for 28 yards.