Backup QB Position Still Up for Grabs, Says Coach Eberflus
Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent experienced a new sensation during Saturday's 24-17 preseason loss to the Indianapolis Colts�spiking the ball after a touchdown and suddenly being in contention for an NFL backup quarterback spot. "I'd never spiked it before, I'd never even practiced a spike before," Bagent admitted. "I thought it was pretty solid form, and everybody seemed to be pretty juiced up, you know, on the offense. Celebrating with the O-line after a big drive like that is always exciting, so it was a lot of fun."
Bagent would love to have more such moments in the future, but his fate will depend on what coach Matt Eberflus plans for the final preseason game. Eberflus is considering giving Bagent more playing time. With Justin Fields sidelined for the week, Bagent was a highlight for the Bears in a game where they ultimately squandered their lead. Third-string quarterback Nathan Peterman also had a good showing, with both he and Bagent outperforming second-stringer and starter P.J. Walker.
Bagent's performance was notable considering he was a Division II quarterback from Shepherd and went undrafted. He attributed his success to his extensive college football experience and having played quarterback since he was six years old. "I've been playing for a long time, have a pretty good understanding of what needs to happen, what doesn't, and the mental load of playing quarterback in the NFL," Bagent said. "If you let that get to you, you can start to look pretty crazy out there, so I just like to keep it cool, calm, and collected."
Bagent looked composed during the one touchdown drive he led. In two opportunities to run drives, he took 17 plays and 92 yards (including overcoming a 5-yard penalty) to get the Bears into the end zone with a scramble from the 2-yard line on third-and-goal. Bagent completed passes to Dante Pettis, Nsimba Webster, Joe Reed, and Roschon Johnson, who turned a short pass into an 11-yard gain. Bagent also connected with Daurice Fountain to get the Bears in position. He mixed in short, efficient passes with Johnson's runs before his TD scramble and spike.
After the game, Coach Eberflus made a surprising statement about Bagent's job status. "I think everything's open right now," Eberflus said. "You never put a ceiling on any player. You always look for the best in every guy, and you'll see players all of a sudden rise up when they get into a game."
Bagent had one other possession, but the clock ran out for the second quarter. He finished the game 9 of 10 for 76 yards, after which Eberflus put in Nathan Peterman. "We wanted to see him in there with the line for better protection and see how he operated to give him his chance," Eberflus explained.
| POLL | ||
20 AOUT | 82 ANSWERS Backup QB Position Still Up for Grabs, Says Coach Eberflus Who should be the backup QB? | ||
| P.J Walker | 8 | 9.8 % |
| Tyson Bageant | 74 | 90.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
