3 reasons to hope Chicago Bears backup QB Tyson Bagent does not play

Tyson Bagent took Chicago by storm with his preseason performance for the Chicago Bears.

The undrafted free-agent rookie quarterback played so well in the exhibition season that he earned the backup spot behind Justin Fields.

Bagent has gone from playing Division II college football to being one injury away from going into an NFL regular season game.

He is a great story and fits the ideal late-round or undrafted free-agent quarterback the Chicago Bears should have had on their roster ever since Kyle Orton was traded away for Jay Cutler.

Although, maybe Nathan Peterman will be named QB2 since he was promoted to the active roster.

Either way, now that the preseason is over, let’s hope we never see Tyson Bagent get any regular season snaps.

Let me be clear, this is not taking a jab at a quarterback with no Division I experience. He did not seem overwhelmed in the preseason and he was recruited by Maryland, West Virginia, and Northwestern to transfer into their programs last season. The only reason he stayed at Sheperd University was to earn his degree.

He also earned a spot on the Bears’ 53-man roster. The Chicago Bears should invest some development time because, at the very least, Bagent becomes a solid, cheap backup quarterback option.

Instead of thinking this is a hit piece, realize what Bagent seeing the field would mean.

If Bagent sees game action, it means three possible negative outcomes have happened.

Bagent playing in a game means Justin Fields is hurt. How Fields plays the game means he is going to be susceptible to taking some big hits. The offensive line is once again patch-worked together so Fields is going to be in harm’s way.

He missed two games last season with injuries and missed time in his rookie season because he was hurt. Chicago needs Fields playing to have a shot at exceeding expectations with his playmaking ability. That is not to say Bagent could guide the Bears to victory.

Bagent showed in the preseason he has the poise of a 10-year veteran in the pocket. He is excellent in the intermediate passing game.

The problem is we do not know enough about how Bagent will play when teams are actually game-planning against him. That means defenses might expose why Bagent was not drafted beyond just being a D-II quarterback.

Although, he could provide that rookie quarterback bounce like Bailey Zappe did for New England if he needs to start a game.

The second reason you do not want to see Bagent getting playing time is it means the Chicago Bears are getting blown out and he is in for mop-up duty. On the flip side, the only time you should want to see Bagent in a game is if the Bears are up big and there is no reason to keep Justin in the game.

The final reason you do not want to see Bagent in a game is it might mean Justin Fields is playing well and he has been benched.

Fields must prove himself this season as a passer. If he struggles badly enough, head coach Matt Eberflus might feel it is best to go with the backup to give the offense a jolt. It also means if Fields is struggling, the Bears still must find their franchise quarterback.

The Bagent preseason hype has some believing he could one day replace Fields if Justin fails. Bagent might be the team’s version of Tom Brady or Brock Purdy, but he could also be the next Will Furrer.

Having Tyson as the backup is a gamble with his lack of experience. It is a risk worth taking since he earned it. That does not mean he earned playing time.