Bears' Tyson Bagent discusses Caleb Williams' 'Hollywood' reputation

Much was said before the Chicago Bears made quarterback Caleb Williams the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft about Williams' alleged "Hollywood" personality and about how he'd get along with veteran locker-room leaders.

Second-year backup signal-caller Tyson Bagent is among Chicago players who have poured cold water over such concerns ahead of the preseason.

"He’s great; he’s real," Bagent recently said about Williams, as shared by Adam Jahns of The Athletic. "People, a lot of the media, had whatever they wanted to say about him before he got here. Thankfully, I don’t really look into much of that, but since being in front of him, he’s just been very cool, very likable, very positive."

With then-Chicago starter Justin Fields recovering from an injury last season, Bagent found some success as a temporary option atop the depth chart but likely always knew he'd take a back seat this year to either Fields or Williams. Meanwhile, Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson warned back in March that Williams couldn't "bring that Hollywood stuff into the building" as a rookie quarterback.

Johnson has since repeatedly attempted to clarify his original comments.

"We’re just in this thing together, figuring it out as we go," Bagent added while speaking about Williams and about Chicago's quarterback room. "And I think he’s definitely (taken) initiative to get an understanding of the guys he’s around and just building that camaraderie, which is all you can ask at this point, really — to have the team just be as one and mesh as good as we can before the season starts."

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Bears at -115 betting odds to make the playoffs for the upcoming season. That same outlet listed Williams as the betting favorite at +135 odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Unlike other clubs with rookie quarterbacks, the Bears wasted little time this spring in naming Williams their starter for their regular-season opener versus the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 8. Bagent seemingly has embraced his role in helping Williams "mesh" with teammates as a secondary voice in the quarterback room.

"It’s just them knowing that, besides my friends and family, nothing means more to me than the success of the Chicago Bears," Bagent said.