What to know about Bears' backup QB Tyson Bagent after Caleb Williams injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams went down on Sunday in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings with a painful-looking injury. Following the game, the Bears announced that it's a hamstring injury, but there aren't a ton of other details on it yet.

Without Williams, his backup quarterback is Tyson Bagent. It's definitely a nerve-wracking thing when an unknown player has to take over for a star.

Who is Tyson Bagent? The Chicago Bears' backup quarterback

The Bears snagged Bagent in 2023 as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Shepherd University. In school, he set the NCAA all-divisions record for career touchdown passes and won the Harlon Hill Trophy, according to research from the NCAA stats archive.

Bagent stepped in for Justin Fields as a rookie when the quarterback was injured. That year, he started four games and went 2-2, according to Fox Sports.

Since entering the league, Bagent has completed 66.4% of his passes and owns a 73.0 career passer rating across 12 appearances, according to the NFL's research. He was also active in the Bears' preseason this year.

In August 2025, Chicago signed Bagent to a two-year extension that could be worth around $16 million with incentives, according to Over the Cap. General manager Ryan Poles praised Bagent's work ethic and impact on the team in a statement announcing the extension, while head coach Ben Johnson said Bagent "epitomizes what we are building at the Chicago Bears."

The Bears' emergency third quarterback is Case Keenum, but hopefully lightning won't strike twice.