About three hours after Tyson Bagent signed a two-year extension with the Bears Wednesday, the third-year quarterback met with the media to discuss the life-changing moment. After just the second question, Bagent said, "I can't even really get too much into it without crying."
But two questions later, the thought of what his contract extension could mean for his loved ones and their well being brought Bagent to tears.
"A lot of people don't know this, but my dad is my right-hand man and he didn't even have running water until he was in high school," Bagent shared. "There's definitely a lot of things and people that I think I can certainly help with this gift I've been blessed with. Just little things like that. I don't really know anybody back at home with any money. So yeah, it feels good.
"It's certainly a weight off my shoulders and my family's shoulders."
Just a few minutes prior to his press conference, Bagent was feeling an entirely different set of emotions. Coach Ben Johnson let Bagent break down the huddle after Wednesday's training camp practice, giving his teammates an opportunity to show love to their quarterback with lots of cheers and congratulatory messages.
"It means the world," Bagent said. "It's good to know the people up top have my back, but it's even better to know that the dudes we're out there fighting with, that the love is there with them, too. It means the world."
It was just over two years ago that Bagent went undrafted out of Shepherd University, a Division II program in West Virginia, where he set the all-time record for most TD passes across all NCAA divisions (159), won the Harlon Hill Trophy as D-II National Player of the Year in 2021 and earned 2022 AP Division II All-American Second-Team honors.
The decorated college athlete signed with the Bears following the 2023 NFL Draft, bringing 53 career games, 17,034 passing yards, 159 scores and a 69% completion rate to Chicago. But as an undrafted rookie, Bagent started as the fourth-string quarterback in his first NFL training camp.
"To think about that point until now, it's really too much to think about," Bagent said. "It's really been each day at a time, trying to be the best that I can be on each given day and just hoping that as long as I do that, I'll have no regrets, and it's served me well so far."
It wasn't long before Bagent proved he could serve as a reliable backup quarterback, which led to him playing in five games in 2023, including four as the starter. Shen Johnson and his staff came in starting in January, Bagent had to prove himself again, but much like in 2023, the process was quick.
Earlier in training camp, Johnson called Bagent "smart as a whip" and praised his focus, referencing the quarterback's habit of throwing a pass in practice, but continuing to go through his progressions.
While Bagent's intangibles were clear to Johnson from the jump, his talent on the field was visible during the Bears' first two preseason games, particularly against the Bills Sunday night when Bagent completed 13 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown to earn a 103.6 rating.
"I've really been blown away by his approach from the spring to start of camp to where we are now," Johnson told reporters Wednesday. "He does a tremendous job knowing what to do, how to do it and getting it done. So I don't think you can have enough talent in that room. I think we actually have one of the best rooms in the NFL, certainly that I've been around in my career, from top to bottom."
A couple weeks ago, Bagent was asked by reporters what it's been like working with Johnson, to which he replied, "there's no BS-ing around."
When asked what specifically blew Johnson away about Bagent's approach, the coach had a similar sentiment about the quarterback.
"He and I are probably wired very similar," Johnson added. "When he enters a room, he's usually all business. To get him to crack a smile sometimes is a challenge, which we like to do. As coaches you try to find that right balance of having a little levity at times, but at the same time making sure that what we need to get across gets across, and so we try to loosen them up. He's so serious about his job. He wants to do so well and he wants the team to do well. He's always locked in. I can appreciate that about him. I can relate."
That respect is reciprocated by Bagent, who made it clear that Johnson and the offensive staff he's built, which includes coaches like coordinator Declan Doyle and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett, is one of the main reasons he wanted to remain a Bear.
"I'm very happy," Bagent said. "I think all parties are very happy. I think this extension with this staff and these offensive minds, I think for the longevity of my career and wherever I end up in the years to come will serve me well down the line."
While Bagent first and foremost believes staying with the Bears in a backup role will pay dividends for his career long term, he has also developed a special love for Chicago in his two-plus years in the city.
Before leaving his hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia, to come to the WIndy City, Bagent hadn't really left home. Shepherd was just a 10-minute drive from the house he grew up in, so it felt like an extension of high school. While he took on new responsibilities in college, he didn't have to leave his family or handle everything on his own.
Family is everything to Bagent. They're first people he called last night about the extension. He cried "like a baby" to his family, who were "beside themselves" when he broke the news.
Bagent transformed into a man when he came to Chicago, and for that, it'll always hold a special place in his heart.
"It just feels like I've become a man in a sense since I've been here, been out here on my own, family super far away, and really just been able to grow up and do what I love while doing it," Bagent said. "So that's been the biggest thing I probably notice, is just going from boyhood to manhood.
"I am extremely grateful for how the city's taken me in. It's the same way the other way around. I've definitely grown accustomed to the city of Chicago. It is my second home at this point."
