I agree with all of this. Only way Purdy/Brady/Kurt Warner was because of injuries to the starter.Here's the thing about a guy like Bagent. The starter (dude making more $) is going to get a lot of rope. A lot. If he gets hurt the second guy gets a shot. If the second guy is like Bagent, who the Bears have very little $$ invested in, then he must hit the ground running right away and has to have some real "wow" plays to be considered for the top job. And when I say wow I mean "WOW!" Bagent didn't do that or come close to it.
Even if Bagent played as well as Fields to that point, Fields would still keep his job because of the $$ invested in him. Bagent would have to be better to take over. A lot better. So much better that it shows right away. None of that happened. So, he is the backup and will remain a backup. Probably wherever he ends up. Don't forget. The Bears weren't the only ones watching him. There are scouts from other teams attending the games too. I seriously doubt any of them looked at Bagent and thought he could be a starter in the league.
But why can he only be a backup at best and not lead any team anywhere? I just don’t get how anyone can say that.