Even as the defensive coordinator search remains ongoing, it feels like merely a preamble for the Chicago Bears. Fans and media alike are preparing to see what GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy have planned for the quarterback position. It better be a good one. Their jobs are riding on it after all. If they can’t get it right, the odds of this team doing much better than 8-8 in 2021 are remote. This is why every conversation starts with Deshaun Watson.
People should know the story by now. The Houston Texans inked their star quarterback to a massive $154 million contract extension. Then they traded his best wide receiver, fired the head coach and GM, promised they’d involve him in hiring the new ones, and then immediately broke that promise when hiring Nick Caserio. Watson has grown tired of being jerked around. This is why there is a genuine buzz that Houston may be forced to trade him.
This is where the Bears come into play.
They need a quarterback. Watson is a really, really good one. It’s an easy connection to make. Yet plenty of people don’t believe the Bears have any shot. That is up for a debate but one thing is clear. The two men at the top aren’t planning to act like they don’t. A source informed SM that the organization is “all in” on trying to acquire the 25-year old. Nothing is off the table.
That means a potentially massive package offer including three 1st round picks and then some. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN stated recently that Watson has a lot of fans inside Halas Hall. Chiefs among them? Nagy himself. He loved the QB coming out of Clemson in 2017, meeting with him personally before the draft. Fellow ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, who has direct ties to the head coach, confirmed on The Mike Greenberg Show that the interest is very real.
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“I can tell you this, Matt Nagy loves Deshaun Watson. I know he loves Watson. You think right now he isn’t trying to figure out a way to get in the mix for that discussion. I guarantee you he is. I guarantee. Guarantee.”
Matt Nagy wasn’t in Chicago when he came out. He was still in KC. This isn’t just Pace’s show anymore…
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) January 21, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=349J4tBssSk&ab_channel=NFLPlayoffs2021
Deshaun Watson will determine how all of this goes
It’s true the Bears don’t have the best resources available to offer, but that doesn’t mean they have none. They can still put together a number of compelling packages. More than anything it isn’t the Texans they have to convince as much as it is Watson himself. With a no-trade clause in his contract, he has some ability to steer where he ends up landing. If Nagy could make a strong enough sales pitch, anything is possible.
Don’t forget the Bears only held the 18th overall pick when they ended up making their blockbuster deal for Jay Cutler back in 2009. They’ve been in this position before. Counting them totally out would be a mistake. Pace has already proven before that he is willing to do whatever it takes if he spots a player he wants. See Mitch Trubisky and Khalil Mack. This GM won’t let price tag get in the way of landing what he believes to be a franchise-altering star.
Having Nagy in his corner might actually help his case.
Deshaun Watson may not care for Pace since he passed on the QB four years ago. However, this is Nagy’s show now. It’s his offense. One that is specifically designed to accent the quarterback. His staff is loaded with QB specialists. They employ a system similar to the one Watson admires in Kansas City. It’s not like the Bears can’t make a decent pitch.
One thing is certain. They are going to try everything until it’s 100% certain nabbing the three-time Pro Bowler is truly impossible.