Story by Parker Stone
A familiar face to fans of Martinsburg High School and Shepherd University Football will start the 2024 Hall of Fame Game.
Quarterback Tyson Bagent is set to start Thursday night for the Chicago Bears and looks to begin his second season on a strong first note.
This offseason is proving to be a pivotal one for the former Bulldog and Ram standout. The Chicago Bears made a change at offensive coordinator, letting go of Luke Getsy and hiring former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
“The speed on which I can understand my order of operations before I get to the line of scrimmage is night and day compared to last year” Bagent said to Bears media earlier this week.
“I like the way that (Waldron) installs and teaches concepts and run schemes” said Bagent. “I feel like when we go back to plays we install, it’s more of looking over it instead of fulling learning it and the roles. “He does a great job understanding what the player is feeling in the plays. Instead of a paper answer a coach may give, he can give real life examples and change it to where we can play fast. As long as we play fast with no hesitation, you give yourself a better chance.”
Chicago has their week one starter against the Tennessee Titans set as they selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the top overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Williams will not play along with the starting unit for Chicago.
“I think the overwhelming physical capabilities and the things he can do off-schedule is impressive” Bagent said about Williams. “There is a lot of plays in this offense that can be made with the capabilities he has outside the pocket.”
Bagent seems to be entrenched as the backup to Williams, but a strong performance tonight in Canton would help solidify his role. Chicago signed quarterback Brett Rypien this offseason to also compete for the backup role. Rypien is entering his sixth NFL season after stops with the Rams, Seahawks, and Jets last season.
“Everybody shows up ready to work which is really the only thing I care about” said Bagent on the quarterback room. “Everyone in the QB room is under the same understanding that we be locked in when we need to be, throw a joke in when we have time, a lot of good dudes there a lot of personalities and we’re working hard.”
Bagent and the Bears get the NFL Preseason started Thursday night at 8 pm as they take on the Houston Texans.
