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Bears QB Tyson Bagent

When the Chicago Bears agreed to terms with undrafted quarterback Miller Moss minutes after the draft ended, the move looked simple on the surface. Reunite Caleb Williams with a familiar USC teammate, add a camp arm, and build depth.

But the more you look at it, the less this feels like a Caleb Williams story, and the more it starts to look like a Tyson Bagent story.

The QB room is getting crowded

GettyBears QB Tyson Bagent

Before Miller Moss arrived, the Chicago Bears’ quarterback situation looked like this: Caleb Williams at the top, Tyson Bagent locked in as the backup on a $10 million contract, and Case Keenum as the veteran third option at 38 years old.

That’s already a lot of quarterbacks. Add Moss and you’ve got four guys competing for, realistically, two or three active roster spots.

With Keenum nearing the end of his career, there was no developmental pipeline in the room. Now there is.

Moss was Caleb Williams’ backup at USC Trojans in 2022 and 2023 and he exploded for six touchdowns in the Holiday Bowl when Williams sat out. But Moss also brings some experience and upside:

• 21 career starts at USC and Louisville Cardinals
• 6,148 career passing yards, 43 touchdowns, 17 interceptions
• 64.2% completion rate at Louisville with 16 TDs and 7 INTs
• Nine rushing touchdowns as a short-yardage weapon
• Clean mechanics, anticipation throws, and a developmental scouting profile teams have liked for years

This is not a typical UDFA quarterback. This is exactly the kind of QB you feel comfortable stashing on a practice squad with the idea he could be your QB2 or QB3 a year from now. And that’s where Tyson Bagent enters the picture.

Why Moss changes the equation

GettyBears QB Tyson Bagent

Head coach Ben Johnson has openly said Tyson Bagent is “probably one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the NFL.” The Chicago Bears extended him and have pushed back on trade rumors.

But they’ve also said something else that matters: If the right opportunity came along for Bagent to start somewhere, they would consider what’s best for him.

The Arizona Cardinals could be a potential suitor. The Pittsburgh Steelers are still in a bit of a predicament waiting on Aaron Rodgers and may not want to roll into 2026 with Drew Allar, Will Howard, and Mason Rudolph. And other QB-needy teams will surface once camps begin and injuries hit.

Bagent, with real game tape and preseason success, is one of the most attractive backup trade options in the league.

The only thing that would have stopped Chicago from seriously entertaining offers was depth behind him. Moss removes that obstacle.

Sure Moss isn’t ready to be a No. 2 in the NFL today. But if he spends 2026 learning Ben Johnson’s system from a guy who knows it well, the path forward becomes clearer.

And it’s worth noting: Miller Moss knows Caleb Williams. Two years as his USC backup, and by all accounts the relationship is genuine. Williams should be invested in bringing him along. That chemistry matters.

The Chicago Bears aren’t trading Tyson Bagent, at least not yet. But they’re quietly building the conditions that would make it possible.