Bears cut PJ Walker; rookie Tyson Bagent in mix to be QB2 - ESPN

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears released backup quarterback PJ Walker on Sunday, the team announced.

Walker, 28, signed a two-year contract worth $4.15 million in March with over $2 million in guarantees. After three seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Walker was brought in to compete for the backup quarterback job behind Justin Fields.

The Bears will now hand that role to undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent or veteran Nathan Peterman. Bagent, who signed with Chicago after playing for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's squad at the Senior Bowl, has been the team's strongest backup QB throughout training camp.

Walker struggled to grab hold of the No. 2 job throughout the preseason and did not get into Chicago's third exhibition game — a 24-21 loss to Buffalo on Saturday — until the fourth quarter. He finished 6-of-11 for 71 yards, including a touchdown pass to fullback Robert Burns.

Bagent was the second quarterback to enter the Bears' preseason finale, replacing Fields in the second quarter. The former Division II product followed up on his 17 play, 92-yard touchdown drive against Indianapolis by going 4-of-10 for 18 yards and a rushing touchdown. He also threw an interception one play after a wide-open pass in the end zone was dropped.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus said the plan going into the Bills game was for Bagent to be the first QB off the bench.

«I thought in terms of just overall, I don't know about the battle, but I know he put his best foot forward,» Eberflus said. «He operated the offense, was in and out of the huddle. A lot of times when you're working with different pieces and parts, sometimes you're getting up there to the line, and it's seven seconds, and he was very mindful of the clock to get the snaps off.