CHICAGO — There is a common thread among successful people regardless of their field: an unwavering self-confidence that stems from an inner belief that their process qualifies them to excel in the most stressful situations.
Say what you will about Tyson Paget. Yes, he’s an undrafted rookie out of Division II Shepherd College who made the Bears’ 53-man roster after an unexpected rise in training camp. Yes, the chips have been against him since he arrived at Halas Hall for rookie minicamp in May. The incredible performances he put up against doubles and triples in the preseason certainly don’t compare to the speed and ferocity he’ll face on a real NFL Sunday.
However, Bagent, who made his NFL debut during the Bears’ 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday after Justin Fields left with a hand injury, never blinked.
He’s the same guy, regardless of the outcome of the previous play. The heart rate is steady, and the eyes are closed straight ahead. He carries himself with the confidence of a signal-caller who holds the NCAA record for all-time touchdown passes at 159. He believes he belongs because he is preparing to belong.
“I kind of put the onus on myself to figure that out before I allow myself to enjoy anything outside of that,” Bagent told NBC Sports Chicago a few weeks ago about learning the weekly game plan and his overall study. “Unless I want to be miserable, I usually do these things Wednesday through Friday, so I can get my heart and soul ready to go out there on Sunday.”
So, when Fields went down Sunday with a dislocated right thumb, Baigent calmly grabbed his helmet and began warming up on the sideline. He admitted to having some butterflies, how could he not? He’s only human. But there is a difference between butterflies and nerves. These, Bagent did not feel because he knew he was ready.
“Playing football is my job,” Bagnet said after the Bears’ loss. “I enjoy playing football, so I was excited to get out there. Obviously I’m butterflies. You play in front of a lot of people, and you know the stakes are high in the NFL. I felt really prepared. I felt like the coaches did a good job.” “Good job on always preparing all the midfielders week in, week out, just because it’s always one game away. I felt good. I felt prepared and motivated.”
Bagent calmly took his first snap and delivered a strike to Velos Jones Jr. for a 6-yard gain. First completion, check. But soon after, Bagent was sacked and fumbled the ball. The Vikings scooped it up and took it the distance to the eventual deciding score.
Such a disastrous mistake could easily derail an undrafted rookie from getting his true taste of the NFL.
But Bagent responded by driving a nine-play, 77-yard drive in which he went 4-for-4 for 55 yards. He concluded the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Bagent made quick decisions, was accurate, and put the ball in DJ Moore’s hands. This is a recipe for success.
“His attitude was great. He’s always great,” head coach Matt Eberflus said of Bagnett after the loss. “He’s cool, calm and collected.”
That attitude and unwavering self-confidence gives the Bears belief in the locker room that Bagnett can lead them and win games if Fields misses time with a thumb injury.
“He’s a ball player, you see,” wide receiver DJ Moore said after the loss. “He had a pre-season and then he came today and showed he belonged. He made some great throws.”
“He has confidence in himself, and that’s important at the quarterback position,” Cole Kmet said. “You can hear it in the huddle. He gets convinced when he throws it. I told him to keep letting it rip. … He’s got a lot of self-confidence and everyone else can feel that in the huddle.”
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson and the defense felt the same energy while watching from the sideline.
“He’s confident. We felt like he was going to come down and score and keep moving the ball like he did when Justin was there,” Johnson said. “Nothing has changed for us [with Bagent in]”.
Bagent was a mixed bag in his NFL debut. There were good throws and a clear process for the offense, but also good throws and the game-sealing interception when Bagent brought down Moore, who was covered one-on-one.
After the loss, Bagent took responsibility for both errors, stating that his job was to take care of the ball, and his inexperience or being on the bench to run a game plan tailored to Fields’ strengths were not acceptable excuses.
At this time, there is no timetable for Fields’ return. He wanted to get back into the game on Sunday but couldn’t control the football. Fields will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
But assuming Fields should be out at least some time, Tyson Baigent will be the pitch going forward for the Bears.
The Bears believe in the player and the person, but Bagnett will need help from his veteran teammates, especially on the defensive end, to make sure he is as prepared as possible to shine on Sundays.
“For us, we have to pay him,” Johnson said of helping prepare Bagnett for Sundays. “We had to give him good looks. He was against us on the scout team, so I feel like he saw good defenses and saw players fly and things like that. It’s no different for him. He’s played good defenses and good players. “He just has to go out there on Sunday and do well.”
Offensively, Moore will play an important role in making Bagnett as comfortable as possible with being QB1, if that is the case.
“Just being available and open,” Moore said. “Like always. Just keep motivating him and keep encouraging him to play in this league.”
The Bears’ offense was stagnant most of Sunday. The Vikings’ defensive blitz kept Fields off balance before eventually knocking him out of the game.
But Bagent came in and gave the Bears life with a 77-yard scoring drive. That’s something they lacked for most of the afternoon, even when Fields was behind center. Tyler Scott’s long throw across the field was crucial on that nine-game drive. It was backyard football as it was, however, and it gave the Bears a spark and a sense that Bagnett could pull off a win.
“I saw him out there just running around and playing football,” Moore said. “I’d never seen a throw and catch like him and Tyler. I thought, ‘Oh, well, we’re about to win this.’ But we didn’t do that.”
Although Bagnett couldn’t pull off the comeback, his game-ending interception showed a willingness to trust his receivers and an understanding that good things can happen when you let them go.
“D.J. Moore, one of the best receivers in the world, one-on-one, anytime we can get that, we love it,” Bagent said of his interception. “I turned it down a little bit. That’s on me, and that’s something I have to fix moving forward.”
Bagent showed toughness, confidence, accountability and a natural ability to navigate the quarterback position. You could see him getting more comfortable as the match went on.
More importantly, he has the support of a locker room that still believes it can right the ship after a 1-5 start.
“He has that confidence about him,” Scott said. “When you have confidence in your teammates, that guy next to you is going to do his job, it makes things easier. You just want to fight more for him.”
Losing a quarterback for any length of time can send a team down the drain if they don’t believe in who is behind them.
That doesn’t appear to be the case with the 2023 Bears.
They believe in Paget because he believes in himself. This self-belief comes from an obsessive work ethic that allows him to find, harness, and pull his inner strength to the surface to be at his best when his best is needed.
“This locker room has had a lot of confidence in Tyson and what he brings to the table,” Donta Foreman said. “We see him working every day in training and the things he’s been able to do. We got a lot of confidence in ’17.”
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