Bagent embracing “ridiculous, unbelievable aspirations” |
CHICAGO—Quarterback Tyson Bagent's story is truly that of an underdog, someone who never should have even made it to the NFL in the first place. Now, he seems to have solidified himself as the backup quarterback to rookie Caleb Williams.
Bagent is not done, though, as he has aspirations to become a starter in the league someday when the opportunity presents itself. “I got ridiculous, unbelievable aspirations that go far deeper than what I’ve been able to do so far. So, I’ll sum it up like that and I’m just excited to continue to work at it and continue to get better at my craft,” Bagent said. “I just don’t want to be somebody who people look at and think are just grateful for that he just made the team or just, ‘He’s a fringe guy.’ I don’t want to be looked at (like) that. I don’t think that’s who I am, and it just kind of puts me in the headspace of a limitless mindset, not a limited mindset.” As a rookie, Bagent got a little bit of a taste of what it is like to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He started four games when Justin Fields was unable to play. His numbers were not the greatest from those games, but he played well enough for Chicago to win two of the four games he started. Because he was so dedicated to learning the playbook and scheme last season, he feels more prepared going into this year, knowing he has some NFL experience under his belt. “Just super thankful that I made last year so stressful on myself because now I’m just reaping those benefits (and) I know a lot of the people around here too,” Bagent said. “It’s kind of my second home away from home at this point now. So, it’s all just smoother and more comfortable for me.” Another significant change to the offense is all the talent the quarterback has to throw to now. Chicago made a point of acquiring a strong supporting cast around Williams. The team has also started to develop strong chemistry, which will benefit Bagent as well in the event the Bears need him to step in at some point during the season. “The team is significantly more dynamic than it was last year, and I don’t think you can really go wrong no matter where you go with the ball on the field, and I don’t expect us to see a lot of man coverage. So, it really just comes down to can we decipher out the crazy zone looks we’re going to get and still be able to have the good variations of routes run and still be on the same page,” Bagent said. “I think there’s an understanding of how far good gelling and camaraderie can take you. I think we noticed that with the defense later, kind of midway through the season last year. They just really started to enjoy each other and build off each other and then you could see you start to respect the man next to you a little more and start playing in unison becomes a little bit easier. So, I think there’s a deeper understanding for that this year, which is why I think people (are) seeing us have more fun and being on the same page a lot more this year.” Williams is essentially the polar opposite of Bagent as far as their journey to the NFL. Bagent played five seasons at the same Division II school, while Williams transferred to USC going into his second year of college. He won the Heisman with the Trojans while Bagent rewrote the record books for Division II and won the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division II version of the Heisman. Williams was drafted No. 1 overall, while Bagent was undrafted. Despite how different their stories are, both are now with Chicago and learning from each other in the quarterback room. Specifically for Bagent, he has been watching how Williams has awareness in the pocket to try to develop that in his game as well. “His awareness in the pocket. I think he has a good understanding while looking downfield, of the rush lanes that are being taken and the ones that could potentially be opened up,” Bagent said. “So, I think he does a good job of kind of feeling his way through the pocket, and that’s something that I’ve been looking at pretty closely whenever he’s in the game.”
