CHICAGO -- Tyson Bagent wasn't supposed to be the lead storyline of the Bears' preseason. Undrafted rookie quarterbacks from small Division II schools are supposed to be training camp bodies who play out the clock in the final quarters of preseason games.
But Tyson Bagent had other ideas.
After endearing himself to the Bears' coaching staff first at the Senior Bowl and then rookie minicamp, Bagent arrived at training camp with a plan to show that the record-setting D-II legend has everything needed to cut it at the highest level.
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Bagent constantly stacked good days in camp and electrified during the Bears' second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Bagent's performance and P.J. Walker's struggles opened the door for the kid from Martinsburg, West Virginia, to grab the QB2 spot on the Bears' 53-man roster.
Saturday, Bagent got a chance to deliver his closing statement to Eberflus and the Bears' staff. He entered in the second quarter of the Bears' 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field.
Working with the second team for the first time in a preseason game, Bagent struggled a bit, finishing 7-for-14 for 43 yards and one interception. But Bagent also led a 42-yard scoring drive that he capped off himself with an 8-yard touchdown run.
It might not have been an exclamation point Bagent wanted to deliver to secure his spot, but the kid from Shepherd University believes he did what he set out to do.
"I feel as if I've proved that I belong and that I belong in the league," Bagent said Saturday after the preseason finale.
"I don't have any regrets," Bagent said later when asked if he thought he did enough to make the roster. "I feel like I put my best foot forward every day, and I worked really hard at this, but that will be up to them whether that was enough or not."
Bagent's stats don't tell the entire story.
Late in the first half, Bagent threw a strike to a wide-open Stephen Carlson in the end zone, but the tight end couldn't maintain possession as he went to the ground in the end zone. On the next play, Daurice Fountain got tangled up with a defender, and Bagent's pass was picked off.
That two-play swing was a roller-coaster for those hoping Bagent Mania reaches the regular season at Soldier Field.
But that won't determine whether Bagent makes the roster or beats out Walker for the backup quarterback job. The Bears will take all the information and all the progress Bagent has made in the last four months into account.
"I thought in terms of just overall, I don’t know about the battle, but I know he put his best foot forward," Eberflus said of Bagent on Saturday. "He operated the offense, was in and out of the huddle. A lot of times when you’re working with different pieces and parts, sometimes you’re getting up there to the line, and it’s seven seconds, and he was very mindful of the clock to get the snaps off. Typically, with inexperience, you have a couple of those delays. He didn’t have those, but overall, great operation. I thought he was accurate. The decision-making was good.
"We’ve got to see where it is," Eberflus said of the QB2 competition. "We’re going to sit down as a group and talk about it, and we’ll see who it is. No decisions have been made. So we’re going to sit down as a group, watch the tape, and then talk about what the best thing for the Bears is. And that’s what we always do. What’s best for the Bears?"
BEARS ANALYSIS
Keeping Bagent on the 53-man roster should be what's best for the Bears. Given his experience and savvy, Walker should enter the season as the backup to Justin Fields. But Bagent's enticing upside is too intriguing to risk losing in an attempted practice squad stash.
Bagent has been accurate and made quick decisions while showing poise and a little bit of moxie.
The arm talent was never a question. You don't throw 159 touchdown passes at any level without arm talent.
That Bagent has made such quick progress and created a quarterback competition in a matter of weeks is a tribute to his work ethic and talent. It's also a feather in the cap of the Bears' staff who identified the upside at the Senior Bowl.
Bagent's second-quarter touchdown run sent a bolt of electricity through a tame preseason crowd. Starting quarterback Justin Fields is the main attraction, but Bagent was clearly Priority No. 2 for the Soldier Field faithful Saturday.
"It was loud. It was fun," Bagent said of experiencing a touchdown run at home. "Really home or away, just being able to get in the end zone, when I'm throwing the ball or running the ball is pretty electrifying and kind of that addicting feeling, and one of the reasons why, you know, I'm so addicted to football is little moments like that."
Bagent gave way to Walker in the fourth quarter. The veteran quarterback went 6-for-11 for 71 yards and a touchdown in three series of work, likely doing enough to hold onto the backup quarterback spot to start the season.
Bagent's closing argument wasn't the stuff of legend. It didn't rival the electric performance he put on against the Colts. Sequels are rarely as good as the original.
But he continued to look the part Saturday while operating a second-team unit he had minimal experience commanding.
When Tyson Bagent rested his case Saturday, there was little doubt about what should come next. He might not be QB2, but the record-setting kid from a small school no one has heard of proved he belongs.