Chicago fans were treated to an NFL-MLB crossover on Sunday afternoon, as Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent took to the mound and threw out the first pitch ahead of the White Sox’s game against the Minnesota Twins at Rate Field.
The 25-year-old Bagent is entering his third season with Chicago, where he’ll again serve as the backup behind starter Caleb Williams. He recently signed a $10 million, two-year contract extension with the Bears and quickly became a fan favorite on the Chicago sports scene because of his emotional response to his new deal.
Bagent — a former undrafted free agent out of Shepherd University, a D-II program — dominated in college, with three seasons of at least 4,000 passing yards and one season where he had 5,000. A five-year starter at Shepherd (2018–2022), he threw for 159 passing touchdowns and added 12 more on the ground. Bagent won the Harlon Hill Trophy, the D-II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, in 2021.
He was an underdog when he joined the Bears in 2023, coming in as QB4 on the depth chart. Bagent then made the 53-man roster as the team’s QB3 behind Justin Fields and Nathan Peterman.
So far this season, Bagent has put together a strong showing in the Bears’ first two preseason games, completing 26 of 41 passes for 299 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He capped his preseason résumé off with a stellar performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, completing 20 of 28 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns — including the last-second game-winner.
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