Should Tyson Bagent be the Chicago Bears starting quarterback?

Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent impressed during the team’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Bagent managed the game exactly how a backup quarterback is expected to and couple that with the incompetent coaching of Raiders’ head coach Josh McDaniels and it was a recipe for success.

The biggest stat that Bagent had on Sunday was that he did not commit any turnovers and executed the gameplan of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. No, Bagent shouldn’t be named the Bears’ permanent starting quarterback based on his performance in his first career start but the path to him permanently replacing Justin Fields as the team’s starting quarterback isn’t blocked either.

Bears’ head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters that Fields is doubtful to return for the team’s Week 8 game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night and that Bagent is expected to make the start.

A thought that has crept into suspicion this week is what will the Bears do if Bagent leads the team to another victory on Sunday.

Admittedly, against a Chargers team that can put up points in a hurry behind quarterback Justin Herbert, there is an expectation that if the Bears are going to win the game, it won’t be based on the game plan that they had against the Raiders.

If Tyson Bagent does the impossible and leads the Bears to a two-game winning streak, is there a reasonable argument to be made for the rookie to remain the team’s starting quarterback?

Even though Fields had impressive performances against the Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders, his performance against the Minnesota Vikings and consequent injury appear to provide more affirmation that they were once again the exception to what can be expected from the third-year quarterback.

There is a growing belief that the Bears will be moving on from Fields after the off-season as they may be in a position to take Caleb Williams or Drake Maye during the 2024 NFL Draft. If that is true and the Bears truly are ready to move on from Fields, why not begin the process now?

And, let’s be clear, this is not to be used as evidence that Bagent should be the guy moving forward for the Bears past this season. Bagent remains a quarterback with a ceiling of a backup quarterback who can enter games and, at least, execute a game plan. But, if the answer is not Fields for the Bears, having Bagent finish the season will at least give the team an extended look at what the offense can be if the game plan is executed.