The NCAA Division II realm now holds this rare NFL distinction: A quarterback representing them just led his team past the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Bryce Young entered Soldier Field as the much-scrutinized top pick of the April 2023 draft for the Carolina Panthers. But it was Shepherd University’s Tyson Bagent who delivered the final first-down strike to seal the Chicago Bears‘ 16-13 home win on Thursday Night Football.
In the process, the NFL world strongly reacted to watching a rookie from Division II end up outplaying the first selection.
Reactions to Tyson Bagent Beating Bryce Young
Bagent sealed the win by threading this strike to Darnell Mooney — which came on a third-and-long scenario.
Darnell Mooney gets the first down. Tyson Bagent is fired up. The Bears secure the win.#CARvsCHI on Prime Video
Also available on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/GCrDC733Fm— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2023
NFL Rookie Watch on X (formerly known as Twitter) was among the accounts that chimed in on the rare sight of a DII passer outdueling the No. 1 pick from national juggernaut Alabama.
Tyson Bagent, a UDFA, just OUTPLAYED the first overall pick, Bryce Young.
At this time last year, Bagent was playing Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
And Young was playing Ole Miss.
• 20/33 (61%)
• 162 passing yards
• 17 rushing yards
• 73.0 passer rating
• led 4… pic.twitter.com/66TzaLYE4S— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) November 10, 2023
Jim Nagy, Executive Director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, has officially labeled Bagent a quarterback capable of playing in the league for a lengthy period.
“Bears go to 2-2 with Tyson Bagent as starter. Young kid has proven he’s a competent NFL quarterback. More than good enough to play a long time in the league,” Nagy posted.
Bagent was given the daunting task of taking over for Justin Fields, who has been nursing a dislocated right thumb. Unfortunately for Bagent, a healthy Fields likely points to him returning to the bench.
However, SB Nation Bears analyst Jacob Infante encouraged Bear fans to give Bagent praise for stepping up.
MORE: Tyson Bagent Contract Breakdown, Salary, and Net Worth
“With Justin Fields returning soon, let’s give Tyson Bagent his flowers for his poise stepping up as the starter. Say whatever you want, but he went 2-2 as an undrafted rookie and distributed the ball well. Nice to know the Bears have a solid young backup QB on their hands,” Infante posted.
Bagent went 20 of 33 for 162 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass, but he didn’t throw an interception, either.
Is the NFL World Already Giving up on Young?
Young entered the Windy City coming off a 27-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts that saw two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
The Heisman Trophy winner was more efficient this time around in taking care of the football overall, but he ended his night throwing 21 of 38 for 185 yards and got sacked three times.
Now 1-8 in his league debut, is the NFL world already giving up on the rookie? One Panthers legend and current NFL Network analyst Steve Smith Sr. gave a strong take on the Young critique.
“Bryce Young has to play better. But at the same time, collectively, the whole Carolina Panthers — offense, defense — they’ve had some issues with injuries,” Smith said.
While Smith acknowledged that there are aspects Young can improve on, he then fired off this message to the fans writing off the rookie.
“You can’t judge a book by the first 3-4 pages. It’s not gonna happen and that’s an unfair assessment,” Smith said.
“You can’t judge a book by the first 3-4 pages. It’s not gonna happen and that’s an unfair assessment.”@SteveSmithSr89 on whether we can critique Bryce Young’s performance this season. pic.twitter.com/LYQILETQIv
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) November 9, 2023
The Panthers legend gained one ally in choosing to be patient with Young. Panthers beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer Mike Kaye was another defender of Carolina’s QB1.
“Bryce Young didn’t have a good game. But I just don’t know how you overcome the surroundings he has. There is no answer,” Kaye said on X.
How Did Bagent React To Outplaying the Panthers?
Bagent addressed the whirlwind he’s been on with Andrew Whitworth during TNF’s postgame. In Bagent’s mind, and despite the odds he faced, he believed he was destined for the league.
“Me and my family always thought this would happen. I definitely put in the work even though I wasn’t playing Power Five or was on TV all the time,” Bagent said. “But I was still behind the scenes putting in as much work as I possibly could.”
“I definitely put in the work.”
Tyson Bagent’s journey to the @NFL is incredible. pic.twitter.com/s58shA6pGX
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) November 10, 2023
If it weren’t for the Bears giving him the current reins, Bagent said that he would’ve dove into a QB coaching job at Shepherd or at the high school level. But now, he went from playing against Colorado School of Mines to getting the win over the top pick and past Heisman winner.
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