The Bears and quarterback Tyson Bagent have agreed on terms on a two-year contract extension, Bagent’s agent confirmed to Marquee Sports Network on Wednesday. Per Gregory Thompson of Key Player Management, Bagent will earn $10 over the deal, but the total value could reach $16 million by hitting all of the deal’s incentives.

Mark Carman of CHGO Sports was first to break the news. The Bears formally announced the signing on Wednesday afternoon.

This extension binds Bagent to the Bears through the 2027 season. He was scheduled to be a restricted free agent after the season, where there would’ve been competition for his services.

That’s a significant sum for a young backup quarterback, but it suggests how much trust and belief head coach Ben Johnson, his coaching staff and the front office have in the 25-year-old from Division-II Shepherd University.

While he’s in Chicago to back up Caleb Williams, Johnson believes he could be an NFL starter.

“I don’t think there’s any question about it,” Johnson told reporters on-site at Halas Hall during a Wednesday press conference. “I mean, I’ve really been blown away by his approach from the spring to start of camp to where we are now. He does a tremendous job knowing what to do, how to do it and getting it done. So I don’t think you can have enough talent in that room. I think we actually have one of the best rooms in the NFL, certainly that I’ve been around in my career from top to bottom. I mean, we’ve got  three, four guys that that can play in this league. And so I feel really strongly about where we’re at right there.”

General manager Ryan Poles also had high praise for Bagent.

“We are fortunate to ensure that Tyson remains a member of the Chicago Bears,” Poles said in a statement. “He is one of the hardest workers on our team and, in addition to being a great competitor and teammate, he is a catalyst for positive influence throughout our entire organization.”

Poles also said on the Bears-Bills preseason broadcast that Bagent was the hardest worker on the team. Bagent was legit moved by that.

“It means the world,” Bagent said on Sunday night. “That is the best compliment I can think of receiving. It means the world. It allows me to come into the office with as much confidence as I could possibly have. As long as I can feel like that and continue to work as hard as I can – the harder I work the luckier I get. Just trying to keep that thing going.”

Bagent went undrafted back in 2023, but was forced into action that season and fared well despite the level of his college competition, going 2-2 with 859 yards, a 65.7 completion percentage and a 71.4 quarterback rating.

He has grown considerably even since then, which we’ve seen this preseason under Johnson. Bagent has received high praise from offensive coaches, which shows they have great appreciation for how he works.

Bagent will be with the Bears a lot longer now. While his preseason performances seem to have locked up the No. 2 spot behind Caleb Williams, it doesn’t eliminate the need for Case Keenum’s veteran presence – he has missed time with a leg injury — to round out the position group.

Having a quality backup quarterback is so valuable, even if the Bears hope Williams plays every snap for the foreseeable future.