NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tyson Bagent wasted no time making his mark, hitting Zavion Thomas for a 97-yard touchdown on the Chicago Bears’ very first offensive snap as Chicago closed out its NFL preseason schedule Saturday night with a 24-15 victory over the Tennessee Titans in a matchup dominated by reserves.
With rookie quarterback Caleb Williams observing from the sideline, Bagent opened the game in rhythm, completing his first seven throws for 155 yards. He added a 2-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Alexander in the second quarter, while the Bears (2-1) kept drives alive by converting each of their first four fourth-down attempts.
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Titans coach Robert Saleh had emphasized the value of giving starters meaningful preseason work, especially after Tennessee held joint practices with each of its exhibition opponents, all of them NFC playoff teams. But in the finale, the Titans (2-1) leaned heavily on backups, with Cam Ward watching from the sideline as Will Levis got one last audition before Sunday’s NFL roster cut deadline.
Bagent, the former Division II standout who went undrafted, offered another reminder of why Chicago rewarded him in August 2025 with a two-year extension to serve as Williams’ backup. He finished his night 16-of-17 passing for 208 yards and two touchdowns, exiting at halftime with the Bears ahead 14-9.
Tennessee did use a few defensive regulars, including end Jacob Martin, linebacker Cedric Gray and nickel cornerback Marcus Harris. Still, Bagent repeatedly found room against the rest of the Titans’ reserve secondary, which included 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.
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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.
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