The Chicago Bears and the rest of the NFL were caught by surprise on February 1st by some massive breaking news. Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of the modern age, announced on social media that he was retiring for the second and (likely) final time. It marks the end of a fantastic career that includes several passing records and seven Super Bowl championships. The odds of somebody else accomplishing what he did are exceedingly rare. He’ll have a gold jacket waiting for him in Canton five years from now.
The more immediate implications of this decision should have Bears fans thrilled. For weeks there were assumptions made that Brady would be a significant part of the veteran free agent quarterback market in March. That market would go a long way in determining what teams may or may not have interest in trading for the #1 overall pick. With Brady out of the picture, it is one less sure thing those quarterback-needy teams can count on. That means at least one more team may have no choice but to seek their solution in the draft.
The Chicago Bears must now wait on a few other QBs.
There are still some notable veteran situations to sort through. Derek Carr will either be released or traded by Las Vegas. Lamar Jackson, Geno Smith, and Daniel Jones are all free agents. Then there is the Aaron Rodgers situation in Green Bay. Initial projections have Smith, Jones, and Jackson all remaining with their current teams via the franchise tag or new deals. That means Carr and Rodgers will decide how the picture unfolds for Chicago heading into the draft. If each land with a team picking outside the top 10, it sets the stage for a possible mad scramble to move up to #1.
There is also Jimmy Garoppolo to consider, but his value has waned from where it was a few years ago. Some team may sign him as a last resort, but he isn’t a strong enough presence to dissuade somebody from going after a QB in the draft. Either way, the Chicago Bears’ bargaining position is far strong now with Brady out of the picture. Suddenly a team like Las Vegas (#7) is in a tough spot. They were favorites to land Brady. They need to figure out a backup plan without him in the picture. Going after their QB of choice in the 1st round might be the best option.
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