As the Chicago Bears prepare for free agency in two weeks, an NFC North rival's quarterback situation is garnering plenty of attention.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis will be a free agent in March and is widely expected to be the most sought-after name in the open market. As much as it might pain Bears fans to admit, rival head coach Matt LaFleur did a nice job rebuilding the quarterback's value.
Interestingly enough, the Bears are in a position to leave Willis with one less destination.
According to The Athletic's Kevin Fishbain, Bears general manager Ryan Poles revealed he's received trade calls for backup QB Tyson Bagent. This makes sense when you consider that Bagent is only due $4.75 million for the 2026 season, per Spotrac, and has been praised by head coach Ben Johnson and a talented offensive staff.
If Bagent is going to get a chance to start, it would be in an offseason when the trade and free agent markets have very limited options.
Bears Could Hamper Malik Willis' Market by Trading Tyson Bagent
Trading Bagent not only gives him a chance at a starting gig, but it would hurt Willis' odds of finding a new home, as a bonus. It also opens the door for the Bears to add some extra draft capital, which would be helpful in an offseason where they're already $9.5 million over the salary cap, per Spotrac.
With Caleb Williams having a great 2025 season, solidifying himself as one of the league's stars, there is less urgency at the backup situation as well. If Bagent is traded, the Bears won't have an issue finding a victim who'd want to play behind Williams. Case Keenum might be able to be talked into a return, and there's always the 2026 NFL draft, too.
For Willis, it has to be a bit frustrating to realize he won't be the only NFC North backup quarterback that teams are checking in on. Still, that's what happens when the pickings are slim, and other teams might not be willing to pay $30 million-plus for someone with just six starts under their belt.
Bagent is a serviceable QB2 and does so at a fraction of the cost, with Willis being expected to garner a salary worth $35.5 million or more, according to Spotrac. Paying more than $30 million less for Bagent, who could present similar upside, could be too enticing to ignore, giving the Bears a potential opportunity to take one more shot at Willis before he leaves the NFC North.