NASHVILLE, Tenn. — — Tyson Bagent gave the Chicago Bears simply the offensive begin to wrap up the preseason in successful model.
Bagent connected with Zavion Thomas for a 97-yard landing on Chicago’s first offensive play and the Bears beat the Tennessee Titans 24-15 on Saturday evening in a battle of largely backups.
“When Tyson starts the game like that, I think he had, what? One incompletion?” Chicago coach Ben Johnson said. “He was on fire. So you felt like our offense was really rolling when that happened.”
With Caleb Williams watching from the sideline, Bagent accomplished his first seven passes for 155 yards serving to Chicago (2-1) convert its first 4 fourth downs.
Thomas, the Bears’ third-round pick of LSU, additionally caught all 5 passes thrown to him for a game-high 140 yards — together with his first simply his finest.
“I don’t know that I’ve thrown a touchdown of that many yards, and I believe that was Zavion Thomas’s very first play in the NFL,” Bagent stated of the 97-yard TD catch-and-run. “Greatest start in NFL history.”
Undrafted out of Division II, Bagent confirmed once more why the Bears signed him to a two-year extension in August 2025 to again up Williams. Bagent was 16 of 17 for 208 yards with two TDs earlier than leaving with a 14-9 halftime lead.
Coach Robert Saleh had talked of constructing reps for his starters via the preseason video games for his Titans (2-1). After a joint follow in opposition to every preseason opponent, all NFC playoff groups, Saleh began primarily backups with Cam Ward watching Will Levis begin in a ultimate show earlier than the NFL reduce deadline Sunday.
“I was good with where we were at,” Saleh said of sitting almost all his starters. “I think we overshot our projected reps for the entire camp by over 60 reps. So overall it just felt very productive, and that was good.”
Tennessee did begin a trio of defensive regulars in finish Jacob Martin, linebacker Cedric Gray and nickel cornerback Marcus Harris. Bagent had no drawback beating the remainder of the Titans’ backup secondary that includes Keydrain Calligan and Micah Robinson.
Martin recovered a fumble credited to Bagent off a botched handoff on the second drive, prompting a celebration joined by All-Pro deal with Jeffery Simmons, finish Jermaine Johnson II and rookie finish Keldric Faulk who watched from the sideline.
Levis was 14 of twenty-two for 143 yards with a fumble he recovered off a botched handoff. The thirty third general decide within the 2023 draft drove the Titans to a trio of discipline targets, the final as the primary half expired.
Case Keenum took over within the third for Chicago. Roschon Johnson ran for a 3-yard TD with Cairo Santos including a discipline objective to pad the result in 24-9. Rookie QB Miller Moss, undrafted out of Louisville, performed the fourth quarter.
Hendon Hooker took over for Levis after halftime. Mitch Trubisky, signed in March to again up Ward, stayed on the sideline alongside.
Tennessee’s lone TD got here on a 9-yard run by D’Ernest Johnson late. The 2-point conversion failed.
Slye completed the preseason with 11 discipline targets, together with changing into the primary NFL participant for the reason that begin of the 2017 preseason to make a minimum of 4 in consecutive exhibitions. He added two extra within the first half in opposition to the Bears and completed by making all 5 from 50 yards out or longer.
By halftime, he had 11 discipline targets for essentially the most by any participant in a preseason since Graham Gano had 13 in 2016 for Carolina.
Bears RB Brittain Brown did not end the sport and was within the concussion protocol. WR Ray-Ray McCloud III and DB Jaylon Jones each left with hamstring points.
Titans S Kendall Brooks went to the locker room from the medical tent. Saleh stated CB Joshua Williams is coping with an injured pectoral muscle that has his standing for the opener “in the air.”
Bears: Open the season Sept. 13 at Carolina.
Titans: Host Saleh’s outdated staff the New York Jets on Sept. 13.
——