Bears GM Ryan Poles confirms suspicions that other teams in the league are looking to poach a valuable piece of the team
Teams in the NFL have been in contact with the Chicago Bears about the availability of QB Tyson Bagent.
Chicago Bears general manager just wrapped up meeting with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine and answered questions for about 15 minutes at the podium.
One of the questions asked was in regards to backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, after a report last week revealed that another team was intrigued about potentially making a deal to poach him out of Chicago. Poles confirmed those suspicions but noted it’s a difficult decision to weigh.
Ryan Poles confirms outside interest in QB Tyson Bagent and any potential trade ideas
“We anticipated that,” Poles told the media on Tuesday when asked about the outside interest in Tyson Bagent. “Just because of the environment both in the overlay of the draft and free agency. We anticipated someone like Tyson was going to get some interest.”
The reported team from last week was the Arizona Cardinals, who’s likely to move on from former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray in favor of another quarterback to lead new head coach Mike LaFleur’s offense. But, it’s not just the Cardinals sniffing around about Bagent’s availability.
“We’ve gotten a few calls there,” Poles added. “Obviously the tough thing is what Ben [Johnson] thinks about Tyson, what I think about Tyson, what our locker room thinks about Tyson. That’s a really tough decision for us. But, for Tyson as well, I think he would have an opportunity to go and perform for a team a do some really good things.”
The Bears showed their commitment to Bagent last offseason when the team signed him to two-year, $10 million contract extension to continue being the backup to quarterback Caleb Williams. If the right trade return is there, the Bears could part ways with Bagent and give him the chance to finally be a starter in this league.
Making a decision on Tyson Bagent’s future is going to be a difficult process for the Bears
“I love Tyson,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said at the NFL Combine. “That’s one that kinda pulls at your heart strings a little bit because he’s someone that you care about so deeply and he’s a helluva football player. At some point, you want to see him have a chance to do it himself.
We’ll always do what’s best for our team and our organization. I do think there’s a lot of merit to having a strong number two quarterback, which he certainly fits that bill. I’m of the mind that he’s probably one of the best 32 in the NFL. His preseason tape over the last two years confirmed that in my opinion. But, 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 at some point.”
If that some point comes this offseason and the Bears move Bagent to another team, it opens a whole new situation for the team.
“You gotta weigh the short-term and long-term,” Poles explained. “What’s the cost of replacement to get someone like Tyson. We spent a lot of time developing him, Ben spent a lot of time developing him. You gotta replace that as well. Interesting dynamic there that we’re going to have to work through.”
With how sparse the quarterback market is this offseason, this might be the highest Bagent’s stock will ever be for the Bears. Teams can get desperate when it comes to finding the ideal quarterback and the Bears shouldn’t be too attached to Bagent if it means passing up a potential Day 2 pick.
As for replacing him, the Bears could easily bring back pending free agent Case Keenum, who has a wealth of veteran experience and can still play at a starting-level if needed. Plus he already knows the offense and his someone the coaches have a lot of trust in after one season. It all just depends on what kind of offer a team sends Chicago for Bagent.
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