People thought Chicago Bears fans were crazy when they celebrated Tyson Bagent during the preseason. It was nothing more than them having wishful thoughts about a young quarterback having some success against second and third-string defenses. That always presumes Bears fans are dumb. They are not. These people know what their eyes tell them. Preseason or not, the undrafted rookie from Shepherd looked better from a pure quarterback standpoint in those preseason games than Justin Fields has during most of his tenure in Chicago.
That led to speculation. If Fields struggled, would the Bears dare give the rookie an opportunity? Nobody wanted to entertain the idea. It sounded crazy. Fields would take a step forward. He had more help around him. It was his second year in the same offensive system. Bagent was an afterthought.
Well, not anymore. Not only has Fields struggled out of the gate this season, but he looks even worse than he did last year. His 99 passing yards in Kansas City was another of his many low points. Super Bowl champion and former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz has seen enough. He explained on The 33rd Team that keeping Fields the starter at this point threatens to break the locker room.
“I think this whole situation is demoralizing his team. I think it’s brought it down. If they don’t make a change, I think it’s just going to get worse. If it’s possible to get worse. I think you’re almost forced to make a change at this point, whether it’s Tyson Bagent or whoever it is. Whoever they decide, I think at this point, you have to make a change.”
Tyson Bagent may not be the answer, but he can’t be worse.
He continues to insist that he’s working hard and continuing to learn. His confidence remains unshaken. Yet, from the way he speaks, it’s not hard to tell this is a young quarterback grasping at straws. He continues to struggle as a passer. His accuracy is inconsistent, and he’s reluctant to throw the ball even when receivers are open. The decision by Fields to shift some blame to the coaching staff last week was a clear sign of desperation. He knows the pressure on him is mounting, and there are no magical solutions to save him.
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One thing to remember about this is if the fans and media can see, so does the locker room. There is a strong likelihood that several Bears players have already waved the white flag on Fields. They know he isn’t the guy. Nobody will say that publicly, but it is there. Make no mistake. The longer Bears coaches continue with this, the greater the likelihood it creates a rift in the locker room.
Tyson Bagent may not be a savior, but he’s something different. He has enough ability to at least explore. The Bears are already 0-3. Their season is going nowhere. Taking a look at the kid won’t make their prospects any worse.
They want him to develop him as a pocket passer not Lamar Jackson
Maybe Justin needs glasses?
It seems I write things. They never get posted. Then I read them in an article.
The worst that can happen is that he starts to win games and we lose draft position. At least you know what you have. If he sucks, then you’ve really lost nothing.
Nathan Peterman is listed as 2nd string on the depth chart. That’s who you get next.