👋 Good morning!
Let me get this straight —
Kyle Tucker suffered a small fracture in his right hand back in June, affecting his mechanics and comfort at the plate…
And it took the Cubs until Tucker went through the worst slump of his career for nearly two months to enforce some extended time off?
Yikes.
Tailgate With Us!
What: CHGO Bears Official Tailgate
Where: Wabash & Cermak
When: Before every Bears home game
Perks: Beers, barbecue, vibes and a shuttle to the stadium
Extended.
The Bears have officially extended the contract of Tyson Bagent, inking the backup quarterback to a two-year deal worth $10 million that runs through 2027. CHGO’s Mark Carman was the first to report the deal — because of course…
Bagent on what the extension means to him: “It’s good to know the people up top got my back, but it’s even better to know that the dudes we’re out there fighting with, that the love is there with them, too. It means the world.”
Bagent later added: “There’s definitely a lot of things and people that I think I can certainly help with this gift I’ve been blessed with. Just little things like that. I don’t really know anybody back at home with any money. So, yeah, it feels good. It’s certainly a weight off my shoulders and my family’s shoulders.”
Ben Johnson on Bagent: “He and I are probably wired very similar. When he enters a room, he’s usually all business. To get him to crack a smile sometimes is a challenge, which we like to do. … He’s so serious about his job. He wants to do so well and he wants the team to do well. He’s always locked in. I can appreciate that about him. I can relate.”
In roughly one game’s worth of snaps this preseason, Bagent has completed 26 passes on 41 attempts for 299 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
In four starts in place of an injured Justin Fields back in 2023, Bagent threw for 776 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions while compiling a 2-2 record.
Bagent’s one of the best stories in Chicago sports right now.
From an undrafted unknown out of Shepherd University — who set several Division-II records — to the first Bears quarterback to receive a contract extension since Jay Cutler’s seven-year, $126.7 million deal back in 2014 (h/t Kevin Fishbain).
Bagent’s ability to earn the trust of three different offensive staffs is nothing to scoff at, either. He was here for Luke Getsy, and he survived Shane Waldron (and Thomas Brown and Chris Beatty depending on how specific you want to get).
If all goes well with Ben Johnson and the Bears, Bagent won’t see the field for the next three years aside from the preseason. And come 2028, Bagent will be ready for whatever opportunity arises.
But until then, the Bears — and Johnson — have a backup they can trust.
SERIES WIN: Thanks to a heroic effort from Matt Shaw on Wednesday, the Cubs have clinched the season series against the Milwaukee Brewers with one more game to play.
Shaw’s 11-pitch walk set up Michael Busch’s bases-clearing double in the third inning off Brewers young phenom Jacob Misiorowski. His solo home run in the eighth proved to be necessary insurance. Shaw also made a sensational barehanded play (with an equally impressive snag by Busch at first) in the sixth inning.
The Cubs still trail the Brewers by six games in the division, but will send Shota Imanaga to the mound today with a chance to cut the lead down to five, which would be the closest the race has been since August 9.
Cubs 4, Brewers 3
BLEH: After scoring 23 runs in two nights against the Braves, how did the White Sox follow up their offensive explosion in Wednesday’s series finale? With a 1-0 shutout loss, naturally.
To make matters worse, the lone run crossed the plate in the fourth inning when Colson Montgomery couldn’t cleanly field a dribbler to short.
Nine innings, 58 plate appearances, zero earned runs between both teams. At least the snoozefest lasted less than two hours.
Braves 1, White Sox 0
INJURY UPDATE: Terell Smith will miss the entire 2025 season as a result of the knee injury he sustained in last Sunday’s preseason win vs. the Bills.
Smith found himself in a snap-share with Tyrique Stevenson opposite Jaylon Johnson last year and intercepted one pass.
2024 NBA RE-DRAFT!
How high would YOU take Matas Buzelis, Bulls Nation?
— #CHGO Bulls (#@CHGO_Bulls)
3:11 PM • Aug 20, 2025
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