Bear Digest

Bears Backup QBs Command Spotlight But Will They Keep Three?

The Bears might rate in the middle of the pack for their backup quarterback situation but the question now is whether they can afford the third one on their roster.

Gene Chamberlain

Brett Rypien fires off a pass Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rypien leads the NFL in passer rating in preseason.
Brett Rypien fires off a pass Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rypien leads the NFL in passer rating in preseason. / Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
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The Bears finish out the preseason looking at their backup quarterbacks, although they've been doing it all along.

From what they've seen in the first three preseason games, they have to think they're in good hands.

Statistics bear this out as Brett Rypien's 146.6 passer rating (15 of 21, 229 yards, three TDs) ranks highest in the NFL for any QB who has thrown at least 10 preseason passes. One spot behind him is Tyson Bagent with a 131.5 passer rating (14 of 19, 2 TDs).

This can be deceiving, of course. They're operating teams without game plans and against defenses not designed to particularly take advantage of a quarterback with less talent and experience. They're also playing mostly against reserves and players who will not be in the league.

Still, Bagent has been effective enough that he caught the eye of GM Ryan Poles' buddy and former NFL standout Matt Ryan, as was revealed in the last Hard Knocks episode.

Bagent would like to think of himself as a starter in waiting for some team now in his second year, but realizes he'll need to continue toiling as a backup. In the recent HBO Hard Knocks episode he referred to it as almost a coaching role, but he does have aspirations to prove something against the Chiefs and in any other game he plays.

"That I am one of those guys that can play the game at a high level," Bagent said. "That's kind of the only thing I hope every time I'm out there is that everybody can see that I have full control of everything going on, I know where my answers are. I can just play at that kind of level."

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Bagent could need to be satisfied as a backup until he gets his chance because of an injury. It's what happens with most of the few quarterbacks who take an unconventional route to starter. After making four starts for injured Justin Fields, going 2-2, and also finishing one other game that the Bears lost, he thinks his over comprehension of the task is better.

"I think just overall knowledge of the game and what's going on," he said. "Situational football has been another huge one for me. I think last year as a rookie, just scrambling to kinda get the playbook down and taking any situational information, kinda in one ear out the other because I’m full steam ahead just trying to understand just what we’re trying to do on this play.

"I think now that I've got the full picture drawn up in my head, I know what the plays are, what formation we're running certain things out of, I've been able to kinda expand my mind into the situational aspect of football which has made the whole thing smoother and more comfortable for me."

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Any objective assessment of the Bears' backup quarterbacks wouldn't put them in the top 10 for backup situation. In fact, maybe not the top half of the league.

As impressive as the stats have been in preseason, experience is golden for backup QBs. Neither has much experience compared to numerous other teams who have former starters as backups.

Rypien has been on the field for 339 plays in real games since coming into the league in 2020. Bagent got in 305 plays last year in his 4 1/2 games played.

In late May, Sports Illustrated's Gilbert Manzano rated the backup quarterbacks in the league. Bagent came in 26th among all backups. He was rated behind Hendon Hooker with Detroit, Cooper Rush (20th) with the Cowboys, Jarrett Stidham with the Broncos (16th) and Josh Dobbs of the 49ers (13th).

Pro Football Network did a backup ranking and had Bagent 16th, which was quite the compliment considering they had him well ahead of several past starters like Davis Mills (20th) and Marcus Mariota (25th).

The goal for Rypien is probably more basic on cutdown day than for Bagent. He's been with five teams since 2020.

"Hopefully don't get a phone call," Rypien said.

It would mean he made the team and there are no guarantees, but if other teams short on QB help are looking at preseason they might like what he has shown.

The rule changes prior to last season make it easier for the Bears or any team to keep three quarterbacks on the roster because now the third can be an emergency on game day who doesn't count against the active player list.

Still, a third QB would have to take up a valued roster spot of the 53 total. He's not focusing on this or on becoming a starter, only the task immediately ahead. The rule doesn't let practice squad QBs perform that designated emergency QB task.

"Yeah, to be honest, I mean I've been through every situation you could possibly think of and at the end of the day, you realize you have no control over a lot of that stuff," Rypien said. "So, yeah, if there is an opportunity to go have a chance to play, as a competitor absolutely you want to do that.

"You never really know what it's going to look like or how it's going to look like and I think that's why you have agents and people that can help you figure that stuff out for you, but from my standpoint just do my job."

He'll just hope he has one when Aug. 27 at 3:01 p.m. roles around.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.