Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said he had faith in undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent as he prepares to make his first NFL start Sunday against the Raiders.
“He has a lot of confidence,” Getsy said Thursday. “He works his butt off, so the preparation is what gives him his confidence. .... He’s put the work in.”
Getsy coached Bagent when he was the head coach of the American team in the Senior Bowl during the offseason. At first, he said, he thought Bagent was a nervous player. By Wednesday or Thursday of game week, though, it was clear he’d been studying the playbook so well that he knew the offense.
“Getting to know him in that time in January was really good to kind of connect to see what kind of learner he is and being able to dive into that quickly,” Getsy said. “I think that’s helped his progress and his ability to go in there last week and really function at a high level.”
Fields dislocated his right thumb in the third quarter Sunday and was replaced by Bagent. The Bears said they want to wait until the end of this week to decide whether Fields will have surgery or go on injured reserve.
“There’s nobody in this building that’s going to work harder at getting himself back ... than Justin,” Getsy said.
