Former coach addresses rise of Bears QB Tyson Bagent

Undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent impressed with the Shepherd University Rams long before he guided the Chicago Bears to an unexpected 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in his first NFL start this past Sunday. 

Shepherd head coach Ernie McCook wasn't surprised by what he saw from Bagent against the Raiders. 

"He is, in my mind, the best player ever to play at Shepherd, but he was also probably the best teammate at the same time he was the best player," McCook recently said about Bagent during a chat with Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. "He has a great way of connecting to everyone in the program — no matter where they are on the depth chart or the stat sheet. That’s what makes him a tremendous leader." 

While filling in for injured Chicago starter Justin Fields (dislocated right thumb), Bagent completed 21-of-29 pass attempts for 162 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in the double-digit victory over Las Vegas. Bagent is on track to start again when the 2-5 Bears play at the 2-4 Los Angeles Chargers this coming Sunday night, but Fields could return to the lineup the following week. 

For a piece published Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted that "Bagent's football curiosity is strong" and that "he's constantly asking questions and figuring out the 'why' in a play or plan of attack." It sounds like the 23-year-old flashed similar traits working under McCook.

"When Tyson signed with us in high school, he was at every spring practice, standing behind the huddle, listening to the play calls and how everything operates," McCook explained. "That’s how he worked at it as a high school senior. That’s what he’s doing with the Bears." 

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has left no doubt Fields will resume his QB1 duties when healthy, so Bagent could essentially find himself auditioning for future jobs in front of a primetime television audience at SoFi Stadium. 

As of Thursday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Bears as eight-and-a-half-point underdogs against the Chargers.