Usually the weeks leading up to free agency become one of the hottest periods for trades to take place. The Chicago Bears are one of those teams that never fear being active on the market. They proved it last season when they swung deals for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. It seems the same could be true again this year, but with a twist. This time it will be players going out instead of coming in. It’s already known wide receiver D.J. Moore could be on the block. Tremaine Edmunds was given permission to seek a trade. Now, Gervon Dexter is receiving a lot of interest. However, the big discussion centers on Tyson Bagent.
Quarterbacks are always the premium commodity in the NFL. This offseason could prove especially true. Free agency won’t offer any solutions outside of Malik Willis, who has been a career backup and will cost around $30 million. As for the draft, every QB not named Fernando Mendoza won’t crack the 1st round. In situations like this, teams can often get desperate. That means taking calculated risks on backups. Bagent is a popular name, having looked good in each of the past two preseasons and getting an education from head coach Ben Johnson. However, interested teams face a problem, according to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports.
There’s been talk of teams interested in trading for Chicago Bears backup Tyson Bagent, but I’m told the only way the team moves him is if they’re offered a significant package of picks and/or players.
During the early part of the 2025 season, when Caleb Williams was struggling, I previously reported on the affection head coach Ben Johnson has for Bagent. I’m told that the Bears really like their quarterback room the way it presently stands. Not only does the team want to hold onto Bagent, but it will try to bring back 13-year veteran Case Keenum as a coach for the two younger signal callers.
The Bears have no reason or desire to move Tyson Bagent.
They already signed him to a contract extension last year, meaning they control him for two more seasons. That control is likely of interest to other teams. It gives them a two-year window to evaluate him on a cheap deal to see if he can play. Coach Johnson knows what he has, though. He believes Bagent is one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the league right now. In other words, this guy should be starting somewhere, and the Bears are fortunate enough to have him locked up.
Put simply, if you want him, you’ll have to make an offer with the idea that you’re trading for a starter. There have been plenty of starters traded in the NFL since 2000. Obviously, the biggest names involved at least a 1st round pick or more. Based on the information available, the Bears will be looking for a Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen package. That means a 2nd round pick and one or two late-round picks. It might sound crazy, but that is the nature of being in a seller’s market.
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| Rank | Quarterback | Year | Trade Cost (Major Assets) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deshaun Watson | 2022 | Three 1st-rd, one 3rd-rd, two 4th-rd picks |
| 2 | Russell Wilson | 2022 | Two 1st-rd, two 2nd-rd, one 5th-rd picks + 3 Players |
| 3 | Matthew Stafford | 2021 | Two 1st-rd, one 3rd-rd picks + QB Jared Goff |
| 4 | Eli Manning | 2004 | Two 1st-rd (via Rivers/2005 pick), one 3rd-rd, one 5th-rd |
| 5 | Jay Cutler | 2009 | Two 1st-rd, one 3rd-rd picks + QB Kyle Orton |
| 6 | Aaron Rodgers | 2023 | One 1st-rd (swap), one 2nd-rd, one 6th-rd + 2024 1st-rd |
| 7 | Carson Palmer | 2011 | One 1st-rd, one 2nd-rd picks |
| 8 | Carson Wentz | 2021 | One 1st-rd, one 3rd-rd picks |
| 9 | Drew Bledsoe | 2002 | One 1st-rd pick |
| 10 | Alex Smith | 2013 | Two 2nd-rd picks |
| 11 | Donovan McNabb | 2010 | One 2nd-rd, one 4th-rd picks |
| 12 | Sam Darnold | 2021 | One 2nd-rd, one 4th-rd, one 6th-rd picks |
| 13 | Carson Wentz | 2022 | One 2nd-rd, two 3rd-rd picks |
| 14 | Josh Rosen | 2019 | One 2nd-rd, one 5th-rd picks |
| 15 | Daunte Culpepper | 2006 | One 2nd-rd pick |
| 16 | Alex Smith | 2018 | One 3rd-rd pick + CB Kendall Fuller |
| 17 | Geno Smith | 2025 | One 3rd-rd pick |
| 18 | Matt Ryan | 2022 | One 3rd-rd pick |
| 19 | Sam Howell | 2024 | Pick swap (3rd/5th for 4th/6th) |
| 20 | Kenny Pickett | 2024 | 3rd-rd pick swap + two 7th-rd picks |
| 21 | Joe Flacco | 2019 | One 4th-rd pick |
| 22 | Brett Favre | 2008 | One conditional 4th-rd pick |
| 23 | Baker Mayfield | 2022 | One conditional 5th-rd pick |
| 24 | Justin Fields | 2024 | One conditional 6th-rd pick |
| 25 | Mac Jones | 2024 | One 6th-rd pick |
Is there a team out there willing to gamble on Bagent?
The one that started the rumors was Arizona. Their head coach, Mike LaFleur, is apparently a fan of the Bears’ quarterback. However, the believed offer from them would be a 4th or 5th rounder with incentives that could turn it into a 3rd. That won’t cut it. The Atlanta Falcons are another team to watch. Ian Cunningham was Chicago’s assistant GM when they signed Tyson Bagent as an undrafted free agent. He knows better than most what his makeup is and how good he could be. The Falcons will release Kirk Cousins soon and aren’t sold on Michael Penix. Bagent might be a worthwhile gamble, inheriting a talented supporting cast down there.
Not that it matters to the Bears. They are perfectly content with the way things are. This isn’t a team motivated to unload Bagent. In such cases, it is on the interested team(s) to make an offer that brings them to the table. It doesn’t sound like things have reached that point yet. Whether that changes might be determined by how free agency unfolds next month. All it takes is a couple of teams missing out on key veterans and not liking the draft to build a market. Poles will be listening.
