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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Robert Zeglinski

Bears fans were appreciative of Khalil Mack’s honest assessment of Tyson Bagent and Justin Fields

Khalil Mack Justin Fields Tyson Bagent Bears Bear (Organization) Chargers NFL

The story of Sunday Night Football was not the Los Angeles Chargers cruising to their third win of the 2023 season.

It was about the Chicago Bears quarterback situation — one Cris Collinsworth repeatedly played up as a “controversy.” Sunday evening saw rookie Tyson Bagent make his second career NFL start. Predictably, with tape available, Bagent sputtered as the Chargers didn’t let the former Division II player beat them. At the same time, an injured Justin Fields was on the Bears’ sideline (while weirdly wearing sunglasses) watching Bagent try and fail to overcome the L.A. defense.

After the game, former Bears star Khalil Mack — now a vital member of the Chargers’ defense — shared a fair and honest assessment of Chicago’s quarterbacks.

While he politely said Bagent would be “special,” Mack also expressed appreciation that he nor his teammates had to face the electric Fields and all the game-breaking opportunities he presents. It’s hard to disagree with the perennial Pro Bowl defender:

Mack’s assessment of Bagent is, frankly, a little anodyne.

Players will rarely not compliment someone they just played against. I don’t have enough fingers to count the number of times I’ve seen a professional athlete throw out entirely empty praise. What is far more notable is Mack expressing his evident fear and respect of Fields, one of the NFL’s finest big-play machines. In his absence, it’s obvious the Bears have missed that extra little something Fields brings to the table.

If stalwart defenders like Mack have noticed, then it’s worth wondering whether Bears brass should give Fields more time to prove himself when he’s finally healthy again.

This was how Twitter reacted

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