FOOTBALL: QB Who? Bears claim trade interest high in backup Tyson Bagent

Nobody predicted a quarterback quandary for the Chicago Bears this offseason.

With Caleb Williams leading a revival alongside first-year head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears won their first playoff game in 15 years and have the firepower behind their third-year quarterback to remain competitive in the near term.

But general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine they are indeed wrestling with a weighty decision at QB: whether or not to listen to trade calls for backup Tyson Bagent.

"It's a really tough decision for us," Poles said Tuesday, speaking an hour before Johnson took the podium at the Indiana Convention Center adjacent to Lucas Oil Stadium. "Obviously the tough thing is with what Ben thinks about Tyson, what I think about Tyson, what our locker room thinks about Tyson, it's a tough decision for us. I think he would have an opportunity to go and perform for a team and do some really good things. You've got to weigh the short-term and long-term. So now, what's the cost for a replacement to get someone like Tyson? Interesting dynamic there that we're going to have to work through.

Bagent was undrafted in 2023 after five seasons as the starter at Division II Shepherd. He won a backup job in training camp before Johnson's arrival in 2025.

He won two of his four starts as a rookie, including his first over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Bagent, who turns 26 in June, signed a two-year extension in August 2025 following Johnson's first training camp with Bagent and the Bears.

"I love Tyson. We will always do what's best for organization," Johnson said. "I'm of the mind that he was one of the best 32 in the NFL."

-Field Level Media/Reuters