Tyson Bagent One Step Closer

P.J. Walker's release didn't make Tyson Bagent Bears backup QB yet but did get him much closer to a roster spot and possibly backup duties.

Tyson Bagent hasn't made it as a Bears quarterback yet.

It's safe to say he is a finalist now.

Once the Bears waived P.J. Walker on Sunday, it didn't officially make Bagent their backup. The Bears still have Nathan Peterman and he had far better statistics in preseason play than Bagent.

Also, they still have the ability to pick up a quarterback on waivers who they might consider a better possible backup.

What Bagent has done is impress everyone and it would difficult to see a season without him on the roster regardless.

"Tyson has been great," Justin Fields said. "From Day 1 he has came in and worked hard. Humble guy. Just hard worker. He's a sponge. He asks a lot of questions. He's very curious about the game, about the offense. So he has been a great addition to the (quarterback) room.

"I'm just excited to see what he does in the future, and of course, I'm excited to see his success that he has had on the field. It's just great to see because he is a hard worker. Just, if you get to know him more as a person, you'll see that. He is a humble person, and he's a great guy just in general. So definitely happy for my man Tyson for sure."

Bagent's background in Division II at Shepherd has made him a bit of a celebrity. He's always being asked about his small school background and finds the support he receives empowering.

"You can just kind of notice even when there's been a lot of more questions of just, 'Hey, man, where is your school from?' 'What's it called?' " Bagent said. "Just little things like that. I think that it's exciting for people."

As far as getting the backup role, this isn't clear at all despite his cool demeanor in the pocket and ability to run through his progression quickly.

Peterman threw for more yards on fewer attempts and for more yards per attempt than Bagent during preseason. He also had a touchdown pass while Bagent had none. Peterman managed a passer rating of 94.6 compared to Bagent's 67.6. Bagent had an interception and Peterman didn't.

So it's hardly clear that Bagent and his low 5.4 yards per pass attempt are ahead of Peterman, who averaged a very healthy 7.2 yards per attempt.

Still, the Bears know what they have in Peterman and Bagent is that young promising face.

Peterman was the Bears third quarterback last year but was on the practice squad until Justin Fields' left shoulder injury against Atlanta on Nov. 21. They brought him up and sent him back down a few times and then used him as starting quarterback in the regular-season finale against Minnesota.

Now it's possible he'll be back but as backup or third team, or that Bagent will be the backup or third team.

"I feel like I put my best foot forward every day, and I worked really hard at this, but that will be up to (coaches) whether that was enough or not," Bagent said.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven