Tyson Bagent era? Some players reportedly asked for QB change

The change at offensive coordinator with Shane Waldron’s firing and Thomas Brown’s promotion felt inevitable. I didn’t see a QB change request coming though.

This tweet from ESPN’s Marc Silverman informs us that some players in Halas Hall wanted change beyond switching it up at offensive coordinator. Some players want Tyson Bagent to be the guy at QB1.

No, seriously:

Although Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus talked about the pending decision yesterday, one area where he was non-committal was when he confirmed that rookie Caleb Williams would remain his team’s starting quarterback. Back in August, teammate Patrick Flowers asked what the Bears should do if and when teams call about Tyson Bagent. Apparently, there are some Bears players who would probably answer that with “nothing, keep him here and let him start in Chicago.”

Tyson Bagent has fans in the Bears locker room, but is he the answer?

That Bears players are willing to speak up and share their desire for the team to start Tyson Bagent is not surprising.

After all, this group has held multiple team meetings and has had captains speak up and publicly share their displeasure with the state of affairs at Halas Hall on multiple occasions. But I can’t help but wonder if Bears players want Bagent in because they’re worried Waldron’s offense stunted Caleb’s growth if they’re wary of putting Williams behind an offensive line that has given up 18 sacks in three games since the bye, or if it’s because they feel Bagent gives them the best chance to win going forward. I’d love some context here – bonus points if a Bears player actually puts their name behind them.

Tyson Bagent has taken a total of six snaps this year, all of which came in lopsided Bears wins against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6. Otherwise, he hasn’t played meaningful snaps since the preseason.

The second-year player made a splash as a rookie, going 2-2 in his four starts in relief of Justin Fields. Bagent completed 65.7 percent of his passes (94-for-143) and threw for 859 yards, but threw more interceptions (6) than touchdowns (3). Chicago’s QB2 had a nice showing in the preseason to maintain his spot on the depth chart despite Brett Rypien making a push behind him over the summer. But that we’re already at a point where Bears players are petitioning the head coach and general manager to make a quarterback change feels damning for an organization that’s spiraling.

In the end, it might not matter if the Bears gave the keys to Tyson Bagent. The overall theme of quarterback development under head coach Matt Eberflus has prioritized not turning the ball over more than scoring points. We saw Justin Fields go from tearing it up the field under Matt Nagy to looking lost and indecisive under Luke Getsy. The same can be said about Caleb Williams going from being an aggressive downfield goaltender to being a player who appears to be indecisive. Heck, even Tyson Bagent looked like he took a step back in that regard under Getsy. What evidence is there that he would not have done the same under Waldron?

It’s a time filled with disaster for the Chicago Bears. Shane Waldron is out as offensive coordinator. Thomas Brown joins as Waldron’s replacement. The team is preparing to battle a Green Bay Packers team that has lost to the Bears just once since 2017 when the BN Bears launched as The Ten Yard Line. These are dark times regardless of who starts at quarterback — whether it’s Caleb Williams or Tyson Bagent.