Bears could have exactly what the Ravens need at QB after recent injuries but a potential deal depends on two major questions
Th Baltimore Ravens have a major need at quarterback following the injury to Lamar Jackson, and Tyler Huntley, and could explore trading for a new option. And the Chicago Bears have an intriguing fit for this offense.
The Chicago Bears have a massive game later tonight against the Seattle Seahawks and in the meantime, a real opportunity just opened up for the front office to potentially recoup some of the draft capital they gave up to acquire Jeffery Simmons.
The Bears’ top trade assets remain at the quarterback position, and one team is now in need of a new quarterback. The Baltimore Ravens lost both Lamar Jackson (thumb, long-term) and Tyler Huntley (toe, short-term) during Sunday’s loss and many believe the team could be in the market for a new quarterback to bring into the building.
“The Bears have three quarterbacks, one of them is Tyson Bagent. Declan Doyle, the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, was the Bears’ offensive coordinator last year. Don’t be surprised if the Ravens reach out, still nine days left until the trade window. I’m told, though, it would not be easy to get him away from the Bears,” NBC Sports’ Mike Florio said Sunday night.
What would it take for the Chicago Bears to finally let go of Tyson Bagent?
The Bears have had a pretty strong stance on Bagent dating back to the NFL Combine. Head coach Ben Johnson wasn’t thrilled with the idea of trading away Bagent, citing how important it is to have a backup you trust on the roster. Yet, he also understood Bagent’s side of things and his desire to be a starter in this league.
“I love Tyson. That’s one that kind of pulls at your heartstrings a little bit because he’s someone that you care about so deeply and he’s a hell of a football player that at some point you want to see him have a chance to do it himself,” Johnson said in February. “…If I took myself out of the equation, I want what’s best for him. If he would like an opportunity to start, I certainly hope he can get that somewhere.”
Bagent got two opportunities to start earlier this season when Caleb Williams went down with his hamstring injury. Veteran Case Keenum got the nod in Week 3 after Bagent was limited during the week with a concussion, but once Bagent was healthy, the reigns were turned over to him in Week 4. And he led a pretty successful game against the Jets.
However, his two-game sample as the starter – Bagent’s first regular season action in a starting role since 2023 – was an overall mixed bag of success. He had a lot of missed opportunities and bad plays in those two games. Bagent’s game in Week 5 was really disappointing on the road against the Green Bay Packers, completing 12/21 passes for 87 yards and two interceptions before ultimately getting benched for Keenum.
That being his most recent tape certainly tanked his value around the league. The one thing Chicago had going for them with Bagent being a trade option was the unknown and untapped potential he had. Over the last two years, the only thing other teams saw of him was his impressive preseason performances and the high praise he earned behind the scenes from the coaching staff.
What he did in those two starts simply wasn’t impressive, and not up to a starting-caliber level. Pair that with the fact that the Bears still have a high internal value on Bagent (potentially a Day 2 pick), it would be harder to see a team be willing to give up the capital Chicago is looking for to justify moving him.
How desperate are the Baltimore Ravens?
However, it only takes one desperate team and the Ravens are certainly desperate right now. Jackson’s thumb injury is already expected to land him on the injured reserve, and could even be season ending. Then you add in Huntley’s turf toe injury, which could force him to miss a few games as well. That leaves UDFA rookie Joe Fagnano as the team’s only healthy quarterback.
At 4-4, the Ravens are still very much alive and in contention for not only playoffs but the AFC North as well. Injuries to one position shouldn’t force the Ravens to pack things up and tank. Which is why making a trade is very much on the table for this team. And Doyle’s history with Bagent makes this a viable option.
“Tyson is no-nonsense. He’s business-like. Football’s really important to him,” Doyle said of Bagent in 2025. “He’s excellent in the position room and out on the field, he’s constantly communicating what he sees and where he needs to go with the football, coming back, what the problems might be. He sees the game pretty clearly and I think that’s because he takes it really seriously and he studies.”
Timing is going to make this difficult and another factor to consider. The Bears are playing later tonight against the Seattle Seahawks and the Ravens have a quick turnaround before playing on Thursday night. It’d be hard to see a QB join a team on such little notice and be able to play in time, but we’ve seen it done before.
In 2022, Baker Mayfield was released from the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 5 and signed with the Los Angeles Rams (in a completely new offense) the next day. Then, Mayfield suited up, played, and led the Rams to a win that Thursday night on Dec. 8, although he wasn’t the starter. The difference here with Bagent is that he already knows the offense Doyle is running because it’s similar to the one he helped run in Chicago with Ben Johnson.
We’ve seen crazier things. And even if the trade isn’t made in time for Thursday’s game, the Ravens still have time before the Nov. 10 deadline to explore adding Bagent after that game, which then gives the team a longer week to onboard Bagent. Either way, this is a real possibility, saying the Ravens are desperate enough to meet Chicago’s high demands.
