Bagent won the Bears backup job prior to the season and was thrust into action after a Justin Fields thumb injury. He finishes his rookie season throwing for 859 passing yards on 143 attempts, with three touchdowns and six interceptions. Expect Bagent to be the backup in Chicago again, whether it is for Fields or a rookie.

Making what should be his final start for a while, the 25-year-old undrafted rookie played No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young to a standstill in a truly wretched game of NFL football. Bagent kept it simple, avoiding sacks and peppering D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet with 16 combined low-risk targets. He will now almost certainly give way to Justin Fields for Week 11 against the Lions. Although Bagent’s play has been truly remarkable by the standards of an undrafted Division II prospect, he hasn’t had the looks of a long-term No. 2. He has still almost certainly played his way into the role for 2024.

Bagent had a solid first half as the Bears were tied with the Saints at halftime. However, in the second half, he had a rough time under pressure with several offensive line penalties and untimely errors. Bagent threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in a costly fourth quarter where the Bears were within one score of the Saints the whole period. The UDFA tossed a pair of touchdowns to Cole Kmet, but could not find his footing late. He should remain on benches in 2QB leagues, and is droppable if Justin Fields returns in Week 10 against the Panthers on Thursday Night Football.

Justin Fields remains week-to-week with a thumb injury, opening the door for Bagent to start at least one more game. It’s possible Fields gets back on the practice field at some point this week, but we may not know more on that until Wednesday. Bagent threw for 232 yards and two interceptions in the Bears’ Week 8 loss to the Chargers, but did find the end zone on a one-yard rushing touchdown. The rookie UDFA has shown poise in the pocket, taking just three sacks through three games, but was overmatched by the Chargers’ defense on Sunday. Bagent will be hard to trust even in 2QB/superflex leagues after he’s scored less than 15 fantasy points per game in each of his last two starts.