Central Plains FFA Chapter

08/29 20:13 CDT Tyson Bagent sparks the Bears with a 97-yard opening TD to wrap preseason with win over Titans Tyson Bagent sparks the Bears with a 97-yard opening TD to wrap preseason with win over Titans By TERESA M. WALKER AP Pro Football Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) --- Tyson Bagent connected with Zavion Thomas for a 97-yard touchdown on Chicago's first offensive play and the Bears wrapped up the preseason Saturday night with a 24-15 win over the Tennessee Titans in a battle of mostly backups. With Caleb Williams watching from the sideline, Bagent completed his first seven passes for 155 yards. He also tossed a 2-yard TD pass to Maurice Alexander in the second quarter, helping Chicago (2-1) convert its first four fourth downs. Coach Robert Saleh had talked of building reps for his starters through the preseason games for his Titans (2-1). After a joint practice against each preseason opponent, all NFC playoff teams, Saleh started essentially backups with Cam Ward watching Will Levis start in a final display before the NFL cut deadline Sunday. Bagent, undrafted out of Division II, showed again why the Bears signed him to a two-year extension in August 2025 to back up Williams. Bagent was 16 of 17 for 208 yards with two TDs before leaving with a 14-9 halftime lead. Tennessee did start a trio of defensive regulars in end Jacob Martin, linebacker Cedric Gray and nickel cornerback Marcus Harris. Bagent had no problem beating the rest of the Titans' backup secondary featuring 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 tackle Jeffery Simmons, end Jermaine Johnson II and rookie end Keldric Faulk who watched from the sideline. Levis was 14 of 22 for 143 yards with a fumble he recovered off a botched handoff. The 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft did lead the Titans to a trio of field goals, the last as time expired.

Bears and Titans use quarterback rotations Case Keenum took over in the third quarter for Chicago. Roschon Johnson ran for a 3-yard TD with Cairo Santos adding a field goal to pad the lead to 24-9. Rookie QB Miller Moss, undrafted out of Louisville, played the fourth quarter for Chicago. Hendon Hooker took over for Levis after halftime. Mitch Trubisky, signed in March to back up Ward, stayed on the sideline along with the Titans' starting quarterback. Tennessee's lone TD came on a 9-yard run by D'Ernest Johnson with 3:50 left. The 2-point conversion failed.

Slye was the Titans' best offensive threat this preseason Slye finished the preseason with 11 field goals, including becoming the first NFL player since the start of the 2017 preseason to make at least four in consecutive exhibitions. He added two more in the first half against the Bears and finished by making all five from 50 yards out or longer. By halftime, he had 11 field goals for the most by any player in a preseason since Graham Gano had 13 in 2016 for Carolina.

Up next Bears: Open the season Sept. 13 at Carolina. Titans: Host Saleh's old team the New York Jets on Sept. 13. ___ See AP's full NFL coverage here