CHICAGO — From burpees and broad jumps on his birthday, to sizzling soundbites and his love of dogs that fuels a passion for animal shelter advocacy, Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent is about authentic and energetic as they come, and he’s preparing to make an impact on and off the field as the Bears preseason continues.
Fresh off the Bears NFL preseason opener against the Houston Texans in the annual Canton Pro Football Hall of Fame game, Bagent is back in the Chicago-area training with his teammates and helping organize one of his first charity events as a Bear.
Bagent told WGN’s Chris Boden and Josh Frydman that he wished he could’ve conned his coaches out of being on the field for a few more plays, but overall, it was still great getting back on the field for the first time this season.
“It was certainly a bit of a tease, but any play out there is a blessing and it’s also good to watch guys who aren’t going to play a lot throughout the season, be able to go out there and make plays [like] they did yesterday,” Bagent said. “Unfortunately, some of the young cats didn’t get to really show their stuff yesterday because of the rain, but [I’m] interested to see how that plays out in these next three games.”
The former DII college quarterback from Martinsburg, West Virginia played in one series for Chicago Thursday, completing two of three passes for 16 yards during a first quarter drive that came to an end after a false start penalty on 4th-and-1 forced the Bears to punt the ball away.
When Chicago came back out on offense, third-string quarterback Brett Rypien took over under center, and went 11-15 for 166 yards and three touchdowns before severe weather in the area forced the game to an early ending with 3:31 remaining in the third quarter.
Bagent said seeing guys like Rypien go out there and perform well helps bring out the competitiveness in their quarterback room, but competition is a normal thing during training camp and the preseason, and it only helps guys like him and his teammates get better as the days go by.
“I think that it’s always a level of competitiveness in every camp for every position so, you’re definitely looking at it from that lens. But, as far as my process and how I’m doing, I feel great,” Bagent said. “I feel super comfortable in this offense. I feel like coach [Shane] Waldron has done a really good job, and I feel like I have all the answers that I need when I’m out there.
“Seeing dudes out there doing their thing definitely gives you that edge, and it makes you want to go out and do the same thing as well.”
Even before training camp began, Bagent had a busy offseason. He spent a week at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, a training facility renowned for working with some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
“[I] kind of didn’t know what to expect because I hadn’t really been out of the state, out of my hometown to train as a quarterback so, it was fun,” Bagent said. “It was crazy to walk up to the field, and you see guys like Jared Goff arriving or leaving, and Jalen Hurts, CJ Stroud, Bryce Young — All really big names and great quarterbacks.
“So, it kind of puts you in that mindset of knowing you’re in the right place, which makes you want to pick apart every little thing that they’re coaching.”
Snazzy facilities and quarterback gurus aren’t the only avenues Bagent has taken toward improving his craft either. He likes to be creative in the way he trains, which led to a suggestion made by one of his close friends years ago, to celebrate his birthday by doing a mile of broad jumps and burpees.
“I love him so much so, I’ll always do whatever workout he comes up with,” Bagent said of his friend. “It’s kind of turned into just a fun thing, and when you can do things like that, it kind of changes the way that you think about things and what your body can accomplish. [It] gives you that mental edge I hinted toward ten days ago.”
Over the past ten days, Bagent has added plenty of fuel to the entertainment fire burning at Halas Hall, where he’s provided charismatic quotes on how he’s “grinding his face off,” and delivered energetic reactions to the shocking signing bonus brought in by the rookie quarterback he’s set to back up, Caleb Williams.
“I mean, my goodness. You got 25 mill, and then you’ve got $25,000, which is what I signed for,” Bagent said with a laugh, describing his reaction to Williams announcing his $25.5 million signing bonus. “So, [I] was just trying to figure out where I went wrong, that’s all that reaction was.”
He and Williams have continued to form bonds with the rest of the Bears roster over the offseason. As the lone holdover from last year’s quarterbacks room in Chicago, Bagent said a lot has changed since then, but with intelligent football minds like Waldron and Williams in the fold, the future is promising.
“We hung out — The quarterbacks and wide outs and running backs — We hung out in LA during the summer, courtesy of Caleb, and that was definitely a good time,” Bagent said. “[I] got to kind of peek into the person he is outside of the facility, and outside of just the football aspect of things.
“He’s a great dude … It’s been nothing but positivity coming from him and [I’ve] definitely been enjoying him a lot.”
While Bagent said he’s excited to see how much he can improve and where the 2024 season takes the Bears, he’s also working to make an impact in the Chicago community, where in a little over two weeks, he’s set to host an event benefitting Animal House Shelter, a no-kill shelter located in the northwest suburban community of Huntley.
“I’ve always been a fan of dogs and then my parents finally allowed us to get a dog when I was 16 — My beautiful boy, Kane Isaac, who sadly passed away two years ago from cancer,” Bagent said. “But, I’ve always been a dog fan, and on a little bit of a lesser level, you just think about how meaningful it is to adopt a child, and then just one step down from that, adopt an animal.
“There’s a lot of animals out there looking for a home so, instead of buying a puppy, maybe go to the shelter, see what a dog wanting a second opportunity has in store for your family. I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea.”
Bagent said the event is set to take place on Aug. 17 at 4 p.m. at the Trump Tower after the Bears’ preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Those interested in buying a ticket or becoming a sponsor of the event can do so by clicking here, or scanning the QR code below: