The Chicago Bears have extreme faith in Justin Fields. A darling of fantasy owners everywhere, Fields is already productive across multiple categories for Chicago. On top of his rocket-powered arm, he's arguably the best running quarterback in the NFL.
Fields scrambled for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns on 160 attempts last season. His 7.1 yards per carry led the league. He's outpacing the vast majority of NFL running backs. That alone makes Fields a singular weapon under center.
The arm power is undeniable. Fields will need to improve his accuracy in the new season (59.7 percent on 588 career pass attempts) but he's going to toss a few bombs every game.
One concern, however, is the alarming volume of sacks (55) that Fields took last season. Part of that is his natural risk-taking, part of that is the offensive line, but Fields needs to hold the ball less. Taking that many hits is simply not sustainable. Fields will need to be smarter, lest he risk injury in the pocket.
If Fields does have the misfortune of getting hurt, the Bears don't exactly have a proven commodity behind him.
Chicago essentially named rookie Tyson Bagent as Fields' backup on Sunday, with three-year NFL vet P.J. Walker getting the boot. Nathan Peterman, who spent last season with Chicago, is also in the mix at 29 years old.
Never heard of Bagent? You're probaby not alone.
Chicago Bears elevate unheralded rookie to QB2 role behind Justin Fields
Tyson Bagent was unveiled to a large portion of football fans in the Senior Bowl. He played for Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in that game. The 23-year-old hails from Division II Shepherd University, where he set the NCAA all-time record for passing touchdowns (159). Last season, he completed 400 passes (69.9 percent) for 4,580 yards and 41 touchdowns — all of which led Division II (h/t ESPN).
It's hard to argue with the resume.
Bagent has been Chicago's best QB in preseason and in training camp. While the presence of a veteran like Peterman is hard to ignore, the Bears would be wise to prioritize upside. Chicago went 3-12 with Fields under center last season and an immediate ascent to contention is unlikely. This is a young group with many years of development on the horizon. Why not invest in a sustainable, long-term option behind Fields?
There are several successful Divison II players in the NFL. Tyreek Hill and Austin Ekeler, two of the NFL's most potent offensive weapons, both spent time in D2. It's less common for QBs, especially successful QBs, but Bagent shattered every record in his path at Shepherd. Then, he backed it up with a strong training camp. He held his own with professional competition and certainly looked the part of Fields' primary backup.
It's a great story. Bagent has to chance to build quite a historic career for himself if the NFL dream pans out. Fields in the man in Chicago, but Bagent has caught the attention of the Bears and league personnel everywhere. This isn't the last we've heard of him.
