One of the beauties of the NFL is that each individual has the opportunity each week to emerge from obscurity and earn the respect of their teammates and colleagues across the league. Tyson Bagent is the most recent example.
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“Tyson Who?” some will say. There’s no question of blaming those in the dark, as the Bears’ pivot came out of nowhere and last Sunday became the first NCAA Division 2 quarterback to win his first NFL start.
Isn’t that nice according to your taste? Note that no second-string pivot has ever started a game in the NFL since Jon Kitna in 2010. This shows that the jump is not common, especially for an unknown rookie. in the draft.
Who is this famous Tyson Bagent? It’s hard to know where to start, but it’s fair to wonder if his enthusiasm doesn’t come from his father Tyler, a colorful character who was voted world champion 17 times… in arm wrestling.
With DNA like that, the man who originally earned his place in Chicago as the Bears’ third-string quarterback has everything it takes to become a force in the NFL!
A rare case
Tyson Bagent has completed 72.1% of his passes in two NFL games, including one start. Getty Images via AFP
Jokes aside, Bagent is far from a hero and is even just a long-term starter. However, what he is currently experiencing is difficult to ignore.
From 2018 to 2022, the young man played for Shepherd University, a small institution with just over 3,000 students in West Virginia. According to Pro Football Reference, this university has produced six players in its 152-year history who have made it to the NFL, including Bagent. Only one of them has started more than five games.
For comparison, it’s not uncommon for major Division 1 university programs like Georgia’s or Alabama’s to send so many young guys to the NFL in just the first round each year.
Under control
Stories like Bagent’s just make you want to work with him to make it work.
The Bears invested in Justin Fields in the first round just two years ago, and it makes perfect sense that he would be a top priority for an organization that despite everything wants to be a veritable graveyard for quarterbacks.
So far, despite occasional good impressions, Fields hasn’t reassured the team or the fans.
Despite not having a bit of talent as Fields, Bagent has worked hard to make a name for himself as a substitute and the opportunity to play while Fields is injured is too good to be true.
In his first start against the Raiders, he completed 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown without doing anything spectacular. He plays within his limits, shows great discipline and his enthusiasm is contagious.
In his small program at Shepherd, Bagent managed to catch the attention of scouts by throwing 159 touchdown passes, an NCAA record. Obviously the poor quality of the opposition partly explains this grade, but no one can take away his determination.
Last week he was asked what Plan B he would have had if the NFL hadn’t opened its doors to him.
“I would have given it my all at CrossFit, gotten as fit as possible and been a teacher at Martinsburg High School,” he said, referring to his hometown.
Just a year ago, Tyson Bagent played in front of 5,000 fans at Shepherd University. On Sunday, he thrilled 62,000 Bears fans at legendary Soldier Field, where the Bears hadn’t won a game in more than a year.
You can’t make up a story like that.
MY PREDICTION FOR THURSDAY: Buccaneers 16 Bills 27
THE NFL IN BRIEF…
Colts blame the officiating
Colts owner Jim Irsay. AFP
The Colts were unhappy with two defensive penalties they were assessed in the final moments of the matchup against the Browns that ultimately cost them the game. The team’s owner, Jim Irsay, doesn’t mince his words and assures that the NFL has acknowledged the refereeing errors. “The league admits it did not make the right decisions at the end of the game. “I believe that we need to introduce automatic video replay of all referee decisions, including penalties, in the last two minutes of all games,” argued the man who will undoubtedly be fined.
Watson still remains on the sidelines
Deshaun Watson, Browns quarterback. Getty Images via AFP
Poor Browns! The massive and risky investment they made last year by giving Deshaun Watson a fully guaranteed contract is backfiring. Between his suspension last year and his shoulder injury this season, the quarterback has appeared in just 10 of the Browns’ 23 games since joining the team. Last Sunday he left the game after five passes. He will miss again Sunday against the Seahawks. His head coach Kevin Stefanski said doctors gave him the green light to play more than two weeks ago.
Big move by the Eagles
After seven seasons with the Titans, Kevin Byard moved to the Eagles. AFP
Teams can carry out transactions until next Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Eagles were the first to make a move this week by signing Titans safety Kevin Byard. This is definitely an excellent move. Since 2017, Byard has 27 interceptions, the second-highest total in the league over that span behind the Dolphins’ Xavien Howard. The Eagles are getting their hands on a veteran who is as productive as he is respected.