NFL Star Tyson Bagent, 25, Breaks Down in Tears Over $10M Contract and Says His Dad Grew Up Without Running Water 

NFL star Tyson Bagent teared up while expressing gratitude for his $10 million contract extension with the Chicago Bears on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

“You know, a lot of people don’t know this, but my dad is my right-hand man, and he didn’t even have running water until he was in high school,” Bagent, 25, said through tears.

“There’s definitely a lot of things for people that I think I could certainly help,” the quarterback continued. “With this gift I’ve been blessed with, but yeah, just little things like that, you know, I don’t really know anybody back at home with any money, so it feels good.”

Bagent went on to express, “It’s certainly a weight off my shoulders and my family’s shoulders,” adding that it “definitely means a lot.”

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The Chicago Bears backup quarterback, who is from Martinsburg, W.Va., signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after playing NCAA Division II football for Shepherd University. After a stellar 2021 season, he won the Harlan Hill Trophy. He finished his collegiate career with 17,034 passing yards on 1,400 pass completions over his collegiate career.

“We are fortunate to ensure that Tyson remains a member of the Chicago Bears,” said Bears general manager Ryan Poles in a statement when announcing his contract extension. “He is one of the hardest workers on our team and in addition to being a great competitor and teammate, he is a catalyst for positive influence throughout our entire organization.”

“Tyson epitomizes what we are building at the Chicago Bears,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson added. “We are constructing a team that is driven by belief and built by hard work, and there is no better example of that than Tyson Bagent.”

Bagent started four games during his rookie season in 2023, with three touchdown passes and completed 94 of his 143 passing attempts. He only appeared in two games last season as rookie star Caleb Williams’ backup.