Tyson Jacob Bagent (born June 8, 2000) is an American professional football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He signed a two-year extension with the Bears this summer.
The Bears may not have backup quarterback Tyson Bagent available for Sunday’s game against the Browns. The team announced on Sunday morning that Bagent is considered questionable to play because of an illness. He was not on the injury report this week. If Bagent is unable to play, the Bears will move Case Keenum up to the No. 2 role behind Caleb Williams.
Bagent has appeared in three games this season and is 3-of-4 for 47 yards in that action. Keenum has not played in a regular season game since the 2023 season.
However, there's positive news as well. Bagent was a full participant in Tuesday's walkthrough practice. By working in full Tuesday, Bagent is on track to be available against the Packers on Saturday, so Case Keenum will likely revert to the QB3 role.
Earlier, Bagent was added to the injury report early Sunday because of the illness, and Mark Carman of the CHGO Bears podcast indicates Chicago decided to send the quarterback home. As such, Case Keenum will serve as the Bears' backup QB behind Caleb Williams on Sunday.
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Travis Bagent Armwrestling on the NFL Network
College Career and Records
As a five-year starter at Shepherd, Bagent broke almost every quarterback record for the school. He broke the Division II record for completions (1,400) and passing yards (17,034), as well as the NCAA record for passing touchdowns (159). In 2021, Bagent won the Harlon Hill Trophy and the Hardman Award as the top amateur athlete in West Virginia. He was named DII Offensive Player of the Year by almost every outlet.
Bagent became the starting quarterback for the Shepherd Rams as a freshman in 2018 and made his debut on September 1, 2018, against the Notre Dame Falcons, throwing for 518 yards on 36 completions and 54 attempts with three touchdowns in the 35-33 loss. Following the end of the season, Bagent earned First-team All-MEC honors.
In Week 2 of the 2019 season, Bagent completed 36 passes on 54 attempts for 438 yards and three touchdowns. His 36 completions tied his record from the previous season. He would win Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Offensive Athlete of the Week award for his performance. A week later, he would win the award again against Clarion when he had 394 yards and five touchdowns.
In Week 5, Bagent would be inactive after being injured in their Week 4 matchup. True freshman quarterback, Christian Etchison, took his place and led the Rams to a 62-28 win.
Bagent won PSAC East Offensive Athlete of the Week again after throwing for 413 yards and three touchdowns in a win over No. Against Ohio Dominican, Bagent finished with 26 completions for 346 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-30 win.
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On September 11, Bagent had five touchdowns and 363 yards in a 56-26 win against Gannon. Against No. 14/19 IUP, Bagent finished 28-of-41 for 468 yards and four touchdowns (one interception) in a 37-21 win. Against Kutztown, he threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-35 win.
On October 9 against Lock Haven, Bagent helped the Rams put up 75 points in a 75-21 blowout win. He had five touchdowns in the performance. Shepherd finished the regular season with a 10-1 record and they were ranked No. 8 going into the Division II Playoffs.
After three wins against unranked Findlay, No. 6/11 Notre Dame (OH), and No. 12/12 Kutztown, Shepherd would run into No. 1/1 Ferris State and they would lose 55-7 in the Division II Semifinal. During that game, Bagent threw for 249 yards on 22 completions, one touchdown, and one interception.
In 2021, Bagent led Division II in completions (391), pass attempts (579), passing yards (5,000), and passing touchdowns (53). This would be the ninth time, fourth time in Division II, that a player has thrown a 5,000-yard, 50-touchdown season.
After the 2021 season, Bagent entered the NCAA transfer portal and visited West Virginia and Maryland, but ultimately opted to stay at Shepherd for his final season of eligibility. On December 3, 2022, Bagent broke the record for touchdown passes across all NCAA divisions with 159, in Shepherd's 48-13 win over IUP during their quarterfinal game.
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Following his college career, Bagent participated in the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine and Senior Bowl. He was one of three Division II players invited to the Combine and the only such player at the latter.
NFL Career
After not being selected in the 2023 NFL draft, Bagent signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent. Despite the high unlikelihood of making the final roster, an impressive performance in the preseason earned him a spot for the regular season as the backup quarterback. Following his signing, Bagent was viewed as a developmental player with low chances of making the 53-man roster as the fourth-string quarterback on the Bears' depth chart behind starter Justin Fields and veterans P. J.
Fields returned to the starting role in Week 11 and Bagent reverted to being the backup. On August 20, 2025, Bagent signed a two-year, $10 million contract extension with the Bears. He was in tears after signing the contract and expressed gratitude for the extension, saying that it was a weight off his shoulders as well as his family's shoulders.
Key Moments and Stats
Bagent completed his only pass for 20 yards in the Bears' 47-42 win over the Bengals on Sunday. Bagent handled mop-up duty and remains a clear backup to Caleb Williams. He holds no fantasy value in single-QB formats.
Bagent completed two of three passes for 27 yards along with two rushes for seven yards in the Bears' 52-21 loss to the Lions on Sunday. Bagent was in for mop-up duty in a game the Bears were blown out. The veteran is only expected to see time in blowouts, or if Caleb Williams misses time.
The Chicago Bears will look to build on a promising victory over the Dallas Cowboys when they visit Las Vegas this week.
Here’s a summary of Bagent's notable achievements at Shepherd University:
| Statistic | Record |
|---|---|
| Most touchdown passes by a freshman, game | 7 (October 27, 2018, vs. West Virginia Wesleyan) |
| Most passing yards per game (min. | 20 games): 354.3 |
| Most completions, game | 42 (September 25, 2021, vs. Kutztown) |
| Most pass attempts, game | 56 (September 1, 2018, vs. Notre Dame Falcons) |
| Most passing yards, game | 518 (September 1, 2018, vs. Notre Dame Falcons) |
| Most touchdown passes, game | 7 (October 27, 2018, vs. West Virginia Wesleyan) |
| Most attempts of total offense, game | 66 (September 1, 2018, vs. Notre Dame Falcons) |
| Most touchdowns responsible for, game | 7 (October 27, 2018, vs. West Virginia Wesleyan) |