Bears Lock Up Backup QB Tyson Bagent With Two-Year, $10 Million Deal

The Chicago Bears have signed backup quarterback Tyson Bagent to a two-year extension valued at $10 million and worth up to $16 million with incentives, according to the team and people familiar with the terms. The deal, agreed on Wednesday, keeps the 25-year-old under contract through the 2027 season and averts his pending restricted free-agency status after the 2025 campaign. Bagent arrived in Chicago as an undrafted free agent from Division II Shepherd University in 2023 and went 2-2 in four starts that year when injuries sidelined then-starter Justin Fields. He saw limited regular-season action in 2024 but strengthened his hold on the No. 2 role behind first-overall draft pick Caleb Williams by completing 13 of 22 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s 38-0 preseason win over Buffalo. Head coach Ben Johnson has praised the quarterback’s preparation, calling him “smart as a whip” and lauding the intensity he brings to meetings and practice. With veteran Case Keenum nursing a leg injury, the extension solidifies the Bears’ depth chart heading into Johnson’s first season in charge.