By Kevin Fishbain, Dan Wiederer and Jeff Howe
The Chicago Bears took a chance on quarterback Tyson Bagent in 2023, signing the undrafted free agent out of Division II Shepherd University.
It’s safe to say the move has paid off for both sides.
The Bears have signed Bagent to a two-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday. The deal is worth $10 million, a league source confirmed.
Bagent, 25, solidifies his role as the primary backup to Caleb Williams and keeps him with Chicago contractually through the 2027 season. Bagent put together a strong outing in the Bears’ latest preseason win against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, leading three touchdown drives in the first half.
“One of the worst things that can happen to you in a season is when you see your starter go down and you don’t feel confident with the guy behind him,” general manager Ryan Poles told The Athletic. “And everybody in this organization believes in that kid, where if something were to happen, he could take the reins and run with them. And he has the respect of his teammates, too. We wanted to reward him for that and everything he stands for. He has a really cool way about him that makes football fun, that makes preparing fun. He’s just a very unique individual who we want here for a long period of time.”
.@tysbagent hits @TheTylerScott for 6 🎯
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/KZA3RdKcEu
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 18, 2025
Bagent showed early flashes as a rookie when he started four games in place of former Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
“Even though he’s a backup quarterback, his work ethic and leadership when he needs to step into that role has been really good,” Poles said. “I think we’ve all been impressed in the front office when you go back to his rookie year and he had to play for a month and he went .500. … That showed a lot.”
Poles added that the Bears have seen “another acceleration” in Bagent’s development under new head coach Ben Johnson. This preseason, Bagent’s 91.4 passer rating is the third highest in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 40 pass attempts.
“I’ve really been blown away by his approach from the spring to the start of camp to where we are now,” Johnson said. “He does a tremendous job knowing what to do, how to do it and getting it done.
“The people in the building already had such a high opinion of him, no, I wasn’t surprised by anything he’s done so far. He and I are probably wired very similar. When he enters a room, he’s usually all business. To get him to crack a smile sometimes is a challenge.”
Bagent is the first Bears quarterback to receive a contract extension since Jay Cutler in January 2014.
(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)