It will be a battle of the backup quarterbacks when the Chicago Bears battle the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday at Soldier Field.
With Bears starter Justin Fields sidelined with a dislocated thumb on his right throwing hand, rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent will make his first NFL start Sunday, where he’ll face the Raiders’ Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O’Connell.
Bagent replaced Fields in the second half of last Sunday’s loss to the Vikings, where he led a touchdown drive and nearly orchestrated a comeback before tossing an ill-advised interception.
Now with a full week to prepare as the starter, Bagent has expressed confidence ahead of Sunday’s game. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy told reporters that Bagent’s confidence is rubbing off on them.
“He has a lot of confidence,” Getsy said Thursday, via the Sun-Times. “He works his butt off, so the preparation is what gives him his confidence. …. He’s put the work in.”
Getsy coached Bagent at the Senior Bowl during the offseason, where he had the opportunity to get to know him as a player on the field and in the classroom.
“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.”
