The Bears think quarterback Tyson Bagent is special.
To do well, he’ll have to be.
Bagent will become only the 64th undrafted rookie quarterback to start a game since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger when he takes the field Sunday against the Raiders.
He’s in his age-23 season. Only three undrafted rookies have started at a younger age, and they started one game each. The Bears likely will need Bagent to start longer than a week with Justin Fields out with a dislocated right thumb.
Two other undrafted free agents have started at quarterback for the Bears since the merger, but they both come with asterisks: Mike Hohensee was a replacement player during the 1987 strike, and Henry Burris was a 27-year-old who had thrown for more than 4,000 yards in the Canadian Football League.
On Monday, coach Matt Eberflus left no doubt that he would start Bagent over veteran third-stringer Nathan Peterman, saying he had earned the opportunity.
‘‘Just what he showed during training camp, what he has shown to this point,’’ Eberflus said. ‘‘His work habits, his functional intelligence on the football field, his acumen in the classroom . . . is very high. He’s able to chunk a bunch of information together and simplify in his mind to understand concepts. I think his release is really quick. I like that. I like how he sees the field. He’s very patient, very poised in there.
‘‘It’s a good opportunity for Tyson.’’
That’s a statement in itself, given that, a year ago this week, Bagent was preparing to lead Division II Shepherd University into a game against West Chester in front of 2,123 fans.
‘‘I’m obviously very confident in myself,’’ Bagent said. ‘‘Nothing changes for me. Since Day 1, I was preparing as if I was going to play the whole game. That’s kind of how I approach the game. I like to know what’s going on at all times. Nothing is really going to change for this week.’’
It would be a tough ask for Bagent to carry the Bears for weeks — or, if Fields ultimately needs surgery, months. Only 10 undrafted quarterbacks have thrown at least 200 NFL passes in their rookie season since the merger. Three were at least 29 and coming off CFL careers and a fourth, the Cowboys’ Chad Hutchinson, was 25 and changing jobs after pitching for the Cardinals.
The other six — the Giants’ Joe Pisarcik, the Seahawks’ Jim Zorn, the Rams’ Austin Davis, the Texans’ Case Keenum, the 49ers’ Nick Mullens and the Raiders’ Matt McGloin — combined to go 13-42 with a passer rating of 69.1 as rookies.
Set your expectations accordingly.
The Bears, however, have been impressed by Bagent’s confidence since they scouted him during his record-breaking college run — no Division II passer ever has thrown for more than his 17,034 yards — and got to know him at the Senior Bowl. Playing for Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s American team in February, he went 17-for-22 for 138 yards and one interception.
‘‘Very confident, passionate,’’ said running back D’Onta Foreman, who teamed with Bagent on the practice squad for the first five weeks of the season. ‘‘Just somebody who expects to go out there and play well. I think I get that sense from him.
‘‘Ultimately, you gotta go do it, though.’’
Bagent’s chance came Sunday, when he went 10-for-14 for 83 yards with one interception after taking over for Fields. He also fumbled on a strip-sack and ran for a touchdown.
‘‘I think it’s in him at this point,’’ cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. ‘‘Going out there, being confident, being himself. He showed that going out there. He showed that in the preseason.’’
