Bears Quarterback Tyson Bagent Signs Tear-Jerker Contract Extension

We've become nearly numbed to the news of NFL contract signings and extensions and record deals because, frankly, these guys are making so much that average people cannot relate to the numbers anymore. But to remove that desensitized feeling, I present to you Tyson Bagent.

He is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Bears. 

And until Wednesday, the third-year pro who got a $25,000 signing bonus before he improbably made the Bears as an undrafted free agent, was making good money but not generational wealth. His three-year contract was worth a total of $2.7 million.

CHICAGO - Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent (17) throws the ball for a touchdown during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Soldier Field on Aug. 17, 2025. Photo: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Tyson Bagent's Future Just Changed

Then things changed.

The Bears last week decided Bagent should be their backup quarterback going forward. And on Wednesday, the club signed him to a two-year extension worth $10 million.

Now, that is not generational wealth for anyone intent on purchasing a fleet of cars and a row of mansions. But that is a life-changing sum for Bagent. And his family.

To fully understand that, we had to witness the Bears' player speak of his newfound fortune for which he feels, well, truly fortunate.

Because Bagent's reaction to signing his new contract is everything.

Kid From West Virginia Hits It Big

Bagent comes from Martinsburg, West Virginia, a town of about 19,000 people, that lies within the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians region of the state's eastern panhandle. 

The town is actually older than the United States itself, but until not long ago it was as backwater as you can get.

"As far as where I came from," Bagent said while starting to get emotional, "I really can't even get too much into it without crying, but it means a lot."

He collected himself. But it lasted only a moment.

Someone asked what the new contract meant to him and his family, and the professional football player began to weep.

CHICAGO - Tyson Bagent of the Chicago Bears looks on against the Buffalo Bills during the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 17, 2025. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Contract ‘A Weight Off My Shoulders’

"A lot of people don't know this, but my dad is – he's my right-hand man and he didn't even have running water until he was in high school," Bagent said.

And now we're moved. 

"There's definitely a lot of things and people that I could certainly help with this gift I've been blessed with," Bagent continued. "Just little things like that. I don't really know anybody back at home with any money, so it feels good. 

"It's certainly a weight off my shoulders and my family's shoulders. It definitely means a lot."

I have a new favorite NFL player. I'm going to be rooting for a guy anyone who was not raised around wealth and plenty can understand.

The NFL today is full of stories like this. It's full of men raised in slums. Who slept in rooms with three, four, five siblings. Or sometimes slept in cars.

CHICAGO - Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent (17) celebrates after the Bears scored a touchdown in the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field on Nov. 9, 2023. Photo: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

Mom Lets Bagent See Her Cry

The NFL is replete with tales of people born into financial insecurity turning their gifts into generational wealth. And, I admit it, I've taken many of those stories for granted because I've heard many before.

Bagent's story is no different, really. But Bagent's story is real and raw and right in our faces. 

I could not look away. 

When the deal was finally agreed to late Tuesday, Bagent called his family.

"It was just a lot of me calling people, crying like a baby and that kind of stuff," Bagent said. "Everybody was beside themselves. My mom's the only one that let me see her cry. 

"Other than that, everybody's just very excited and supportive of me and happy for me."

Tyson Bagent is a multi-millionaire now. And I'm happy for him, too.