One of the most feel-good stories of the 2023 NFL season is Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagnet. Undrafted out of Division II Shepard University, Bagnet earned a spot on the Bears’ roster with his level of play in the offseason. Not only did he land a roster spot, he earned the No. 2 job behind Justin Fields.
That meant when Fields went down with an injury in a Week 6 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Bagnet’s number was called. While he was a little shaky in relief, his first career start against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7 could not have gone better.
He completed 21-of-29 pass attempts for 162 yards and one touchdown, adding 24 yards on three rushes. Most importantly, he helped the Bears get their second win of the season, defeating the Raiders 30-12.
It was a performance that blew away everyone watching. How could a player whose last game was a loss against Colorado School of Mines lead a team to victory in the NFL? One person who was not surprised was Bagnet’s coach at Shepard, Ernie McCook.
“He is, in my mind, the best player ever to play at Shepherd, but he was also probably the best teammate at the same time he was the best player,” McCook recently said about Bagent during a chat with Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “He has a great way of connecting to everyone in the program — no matter where they are on the depth chart or the stat sheet. That’s what makes him a tremendous leader.”
Bagnet is on track to start again in Week 8 when the Bears travel to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Fields will assume the starting role once the dislocated right thumb he suffered is healthy, but for now, this is Bagnet’s team.
How has he acclimated himself so well to the NFL in such a short period of time? In McCook’s opinion, it is because of the work ethic and attention to detail that Bagnet brings to the field.
“When Tyson signed with us in high school, he was at every spring practice, standing behind the huddle, listening to the play calls and how everything operates,” McCook explained. “That’s how he worked at it as a high school senior. That’s what he’s doing with the Bears.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke highly of Bagnet’s preparation as well, noting he is always asking questions and learning the nuances of what is going on. That is certainly one way for a young player to endear himself to a coaching staff and teammates.
It will certainly be a challenge for Bagnet and the Bears heading on the road to face Justin Herbert and the Chargers in prime time on Sunday Night Football. This is an excellent opportunity for him to put some more positive performance on tape, auditioning for a bigger role down the road.
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