Undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent will make his third consecutive start in place of Justin Fields when the Bears play the Saints on Sunday at the Superdome — but without the intrigue that had many Bears fans hoping Bagent could be the Bears’ version of Brock Purdy.
After being caught in the undertow of another Bears prime time flop on the road and throwing two interceptions in a 30-13 loss to the Chargers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, Bagent is just another back-up quarterback at the mercy of an offense on training wheels it might never get rid of. His moxie has value, but what the Bears need in a quarterback is fairy dust.
A week ago, after Bagent had a 97.2 passer rating without a turnover in a modest-but-effective performance in a 30-12 victory over the Raiders, there was still a curiosity factor in Bagent, a reason to see more. But while Bagent still has potential as a quality back-up, in the big picture the Bears are back to where they started — the sooner Fields returns, the better, so he can play as many games as possible in 2023 for the Bears to determine if he’s a keeper.
That will have to wait. For the third consecutive week, coach Matt Eberflus didn’t play any quarterback-indecision games, saying Monday that Bagent will start and Fields is “week-to-week” while he recovers from a dislocated thumb he suffered against the Vikings on Oct. 15.
As has been his custom, Eberflus refused to say whether Fields has started throwing a football in his recovery process. Why that is a state secret is something only football coaches can answer.
“He’s progressing. I can just say that,” Eberflus said. “I’m not going to get into the particulars, but he is progressing and he is improving. I can say that. So we like were it is right now.”
The Bears’ game against the Panthers on Nov. 9 on Thursday night football remains a possibility, Eberflus said. That’s why the Bears did not put Fields on injured reserve, which would require him to miss four games.
Bagent was far from hapless against the Chargers. He threw a 41-yard pass to Darnell Mooney on the Bears’ first play from scrimmage, but eventually was in too deep after the Bears fell behind 24-7 at halftime.
Bagent completed 25 of 37 passes for 232 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 62.0 passer rating. He was sacked once.
“There were some solid points in the game,” Eberflus said. “Obviously the first game [against the Raiders] and what was the difference — takeaways. So we’ve got to do a good job of protecting the ball, being on the positive side or the even side of the turnover battle. That was the difference.
“He took some shot shots down the field [that] you didn’t see in the first game, which was exciting to see. We’re going to continue to stretch the field vertically and horizontally.”
Though the aura about Bagent has dimmed as his limitations were exposed in his two starts, he still gives the Bears a chance to win. But, at least in such a formative stage of development, Bagent still needs a heavy wind at his back to have a chance with the Bears — a solid running game, better protection, a well-conceived offensive game plan, flawless communication and better defense.
Sunday’s loss was a reminder of just how much help the rookie needs to get the job done. The Bears desperately need a quarterback who can put an offense on his back. But whether it’s Fields or Bagent, it’s the offense that still has to do the heavy lifting to give the quarterback a chance.
“t takes everybody,” Eberflus said, “and I tell those guys, it will take all of us. When you want to lay good football, it’s got to be complementary. You’ve got to play together.”
