The Chicago Bears went 2-0-1 in the first preseason under head coach Ben Johnson. In each game, they scored at least 24 points, giving fans a glimpse of what the offense could be.
One player who played extremely well this summer is quarterback Tyson Bagent. During the 2025 preseason, he went 46-of-69 (66.7%) with the third most passing yards in the NFL (511) and tied for the most passing touchdowns (5). And just last week, he got a two-year, $10 million extension with a max of $16 million with incentives.
Bagent was in a competition with veteran Case Keenum for the QB2 job, but he easily ran away with it.
Tyson Bagent Was Stellar for Bears This Preseason
Bagent joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and fought his way onto the roster. He did it under two different coaching staffs and was rewarded for his play. The Bears had to convince Keenum not to retire in order to sign with Chicago, and made it an open competition for the backup role. Instead of folding, Bagent stepped up to the plate and got better.
He threw for at least one passing touchdown in each preseason outing and increased his passing yards in each week. According to Pro Football Focus, he had an 89.0 overall grade in these three preseason appearances.
After landing his extension, Bagent led the Bears down the field for a game-winning drive against the Chiefs that was capped off with a touchdown pass to Jahdae Walker with two seconds left.
Even though it was just a preseason game, these kinds of drives only give the team more confidence and trust in Bagent. Of course, Caleb Williams is the franchise QB in the Windy City, but having a high-end backup QB is huge in the NFL. Injuries are a part of the game, and if Williams ever missed time, it's very clear the Bears could have the utmost confidence in Bagent's ability to step in.
"I've really been blown away by his approach from the spring to the start of camp to where we are now," Johnson said after Bagent signed his new deal. "He does a tremendous job knowing what to do, how to do it and getting it done."
He has a lot of fans in that building and his play this preseason played a big role in that.