On Sunday, August 27th, the Chicago Bears cut expected backup quarterback, PJ Walker, amongst other players.
Back in March, the Bears signed PJ Walker to a two year, 4.15 million dollar contract with two million guaranteed. Walker was signed as an UDFA in 2017 by the Indianapolis Colts, and spent the last three seasons with the Carolina Panthers as their backup quarterback. He would then go on to start after injuries to quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold throughout the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The Bears brought in Walker to have a veteran presence in their QB room in case Fields gets injured again. Last year when Fields got injured, the transition to quarterback Trevor Semain required too much change to their offensive identity, whereas an experienced quarterback will (In theory) be better at adjusting to a new system. Additionally, Walker has connections with head coach Matt Eberflus from the Colts, and new star wide receiver DJ Moore from the Panthers.
However, for lack of a better term, Walker was horrible during training camp and the preseason. Walker completed less than 50% of his passes in a roller coaster preseason. In each game he struggled, and by the third game vs. the Buffalo Bills, Walker didn’t play until the fourth quarter. Long story short, as the preseason went on it became clear that Walker has less and less of a grip on the starting job. On the other hand, in everything Walker lacked, UDFA rookie Tyson Bagent showed both on and off the field. Bagent was signed out of Shepherd where he was an absolute Division II standout. During his time at Shepherd, Bagent recorded 159 touchdown passes and won the 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy, which is the MVP award of DII football. During his senior year, Bagent threw for 41 touchdowns, 4,580 completion yards, and had an overall 69.9% completion percentage. Bagent signed with the Bears after playing in the Senior Bowl on offensive coordinator’s Luke Getsy’s team. During the preseason, Bagent was very consistent (At least compared to Walker and veteran quarterback Nathan Peterman). Throughout the preseason, Bagent went 20 for 29 in passes, completing 156 yards, along with one interception and two rushing touchdowns. While he had some issues with mechanics and footworks (Two of his biggest issues in college), Bagent showed off moxie, leadership, and the ability to adapt – three very important skills to make it in the big leagues. Eberflus stated that he was impressed with Bagent’s decision making, making his inexperience seem obsolete.
The cutting of PJ Walker solidifies Bagent’s spot as the Bears’ backup quarterback, but also shows that general manager Ryan Poles isn’t afraid to cut players taking up roster spots just because of money. While he did get the Bears into this situation in the first place, it is comforting to know that Poles knows when to pull the plug and isn’t afraid of making decisions. Unlike front offices of the past, Poles is here to create the best 53-man roster the Bears can have, rather than the most affordable.
