Bears' Tyson Bagent compared to iconic Cowboys QB

Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy got a look at quarterback Tyson Bagent before Bagent joined the Chicago Bears as an undrafted rookie and believes the 23-year-old shares traits previously flashed by none other than former Dallas Cowboys star signal-caller Tony Romo.

"I'm not sitting here saying I thought he would have Tony's career ... but there was just a moxie about him," Nagy said about Bagent while speaking with ESPN's Courtney Cronin for a piece published Tuesday. "He had a really good feel for the game. He could move around, really cool mobility and ability to make plays when he's on the move. Saw the field well, really good poise, when he got moved and flushed, he didn't get rattled. There's a calmness to him." 

Long before Romo became somewhat of a polarizing figure as CBS' lead NFL analyst, he signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Andrew Cohen of Front Office Sports noted this past April that Romo earned over $127M from NFL contracts during his playing days, and the quarterback ultimately retired holding multiple Cowboys franchise records. 

Bagent, meanwhile, is filling in for injured Chicago starter Justin Fields (dislocated right thumb) and completed 21-of-29 pass attempts for 162 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in a 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 22. The first-year pro more recently connected on 25-of-37 passes for 232 yards with no touchdowns and two picks during this past Sunday's 30-13 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers. 

"From the minute he got here, especially when we got out on the field on Tuesday for the first practice, he just looked like he belonged," Nagy added about Bagent. 

The Bears are hoping Bagent will immediately bounce back from a disappointing outing, as he's on track to start when 2-6 Chicago plays at the 4-4 New Orleans Saints this coming Sunday. As of Tuesday evening, OddsChecker listed the Bears as seven-and-a-half-point underdogs against the Saints.