Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent both believe in setting goals.
When the Bears’ rookie quarterback was younger, he wrote them out on his iPhone lock screen: to become the No. 1 overall draft pick and win eight Super Bowls.
Bagent’s goals are just as outrageous, though the second-year quarterback won’t say them out loud.
“Y’all would think I’m crazy,” he said Wednesday.
Really?
“I’ve got ridiculous, unbelievable aspirations,” he said, “that go far deeper than what I’ve been able to do so far.”
What he done so far has been remarkable in itself. A year ago, the undrafted free agent rookie from Division II Shepherd University was fighting to make the Bears roster. His did, beating out veteran P.J. Walker, and became the first undrafted rookie since at least 1960 to start a game for the Bears. His 2-2 showing in four starts last year earned him the trust of general manager Ryan Poles, who, bucking league tradition, didn’t add a veteran quarterback to pair with Williams this offseason.
Bagent has rewarded him by being one of the best quarterbacks of the preseason. In 19 attempts entering Thursday’s preseason finale in Kansas City (7:20 p.m., Fox-32), Bagent has a 131.5 passer rating. He ranks second in the NFL in passer rating this preseason for those with 19 or more passes, with teammate Brett Rypien, the third-stringer, ranking No. 1 with a 146.6.
That’s a DIME from Bagent 😯
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Bagent’s 89.8 Pro Football Grade is third among all NFL quarterbacks this preseason.
Bagent is expected to start Thursday but Rypien — and perhaps even fourth-stringer Austin Reed — figure to play more than the long-locked blond. That’s a sign of how comfortable the Bears are with Bagent, who’s not afraid to dream big.
In fact, he thinks it’s healthy.
“I think it puts myself in a different mental space,” Bagent said, “and I think it puts those around me in a different mental space regarding how they view me.”
Bagent appreciates his small-town and small-college roots — he still lives with his family back in Martinsburg, West Virginia., during the offseason — but doesn’t want to be known only for that.
“I just don’t want to be somebody who people look at and think am just grateful that he just made the team — or, ‘He’s a fringe guy,’” he said. “I don’t want to be looked at (like) that. I don’t think that’s who I am.
“It just kind of puts me in the headspace of a limitless mindset — and not a limited mindset.”
He’s still the backup, though, and will be so long as Williams is healthy. Accepting that, Bagent said, is part of being a good teammate.
“The only thing I can do is really just show up and be the greatest asset I can be,” he said, “and just continue to work and get better individually.”
Rypien, who went undrafted out of Boise State, appreciates Bagent’s work ethic.
“Him and I come from a similar type of mold, coming from not really big cities, both really committed to family,” he said. “Both have that underdog mentality ever since a young age, being under-recruited, whatever, counted out, being undrafted.”
Bagent had a 71.4 passer rating, with twice as many interceptions as touchdowns, in four starts last year. If Williams gets hurt, Bagent could make waves this season, given the influx in offensive talent on the team.
“The team is significantly more dynamic than it was last year,” Bagent said. “I don’t think you can really go wrong no matter where you go with the ball on the field.”
Bagent can’t wait for the chance. He’s come a long way in one year but thinks he can advance even farther.
That’s the dream, whether he says it out loud or not.
“Grateful for [the journey] every single day,” he said. “But, still, the other side of that — I think there’s a lot more I could kind of squeeze out of this.”