Tyson Bagent is the longest-tenured Chicago Bears quarterback in a room that features former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, a fellow undrafted free agent in second-year man Austin Reed, and highly-regarded veteran journeyman Case Keenum.
Keenum has been a valued resource for the otherwise young and inexperienced group. He said that he expects Bagent to play for a “long time” in the NFL.
Bagent did not take the comments lightly, which spoke volumes about how Keenum is viewed in that room.
Bears QB Tyson Bagent Reacts to Case Keenum’s Praise
Tyson Bagent Recalls 1st Encounter With Bears Teammate
“For anybody to say that is pretty sweet, and pretty cool, and it means a lot. This is my life’s work. So, it does mean a lot,” Bagent told Clocker Sports on Thursday after the Bears wrapped their three-day mandatory minicamp. “But coming from somebody like him means a little bit more.”
Why?
Bagent, who turns 25 on June 8, was 13 when Keenum, 37, entered the league. Keenum was a UDFA, like Bagent, with the Houston Texans in 2013.
“The first NFL game I ever went to, Redskins versus Giants, end of the season. I don’t think either team was going to the playoffs. Dwayne Haskins – RIP – he hurt himself, Case Keenum goes into the game. I’m about five rows up behind the end zone, and they’re backed up on their own 1[-yard line],” Bagent told CS.
“He just manufactured a 99-yard drive. And, really, the one throw that sticks out, he dropped back, foot was probably an inch from being out of bounds out of the back of the end zone, and threw a over route to [Jamison] Crowder, I want to say. And it just – the angle and just the drive that followed was just something that I didn’t forget, and that was back in 2019. So, for him to say something like that is extremely cool.”
The likely pass in question was a 32-yarder that actually went to Steven Sims on a 3rd-and-nine. Crowder was a member of the Jets in 2019, though Keenum completed passes to wideout Terry McLaurin and Kelvin Harmon and tight ends Jeremy Sprinkle and Hale Hentges on the drive.
Keenum ran in the game-tying touchdown to send the contest to overtime.
Bagent said he told Keenum about that and that the latter had to wrack his brain but did recall the contest. It was a 41-35 Giants overtime victory in Week 16 of the 2019 season. Keenum’s Washington squad finished the season 3-13.
Keenum opened that season as the starter for Washington. He went 1-6 while completing 67% of his passes for 1,343 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions before Washington turned to Haskins for good. Keenum joined the Bears on a one-year, $2.2 million contract, noting he was close to retirement before speaking with Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
Tyson Bagent Embracing QB2 Battle
Johnson said there was no depth chart at this point in the offseason calendar. Practices have reflected that in many ways, including the QB job.
Bagent is not shying away from that competition.
“The competition aspect, I’ll be surprised when that’s not the case, year-to-year, every year, just competing with somebody. And I’m always competing, no matter who’s in the room. That is not gonna change how I operate and what I do on a daily basis,” Bagent said.
“Just compete my ass off, try to put myself in the best position possible, and I’m sure that everybody in that room, and in the building, will do the same.”