The Chicago Bears need a quarterback. They’ve needed a quarterback since 1950. No franchise has gone through a longer dry spell without a genuine star at that position than them. GM Ryan Pace took his mighty crack at the problem in 2017 with Mitch Trubisky and it blew up in his face. Now he and head coach Matt Nagy are scrambling to fix that mistake before it ends up costing them their jobs.
Thus far the one thing that is clear to this point is they are seeking a veteran option at the position. No buzz has emerged about the NFL draft. This isn’t a huge surprise since a rookie wouldn’t give them the best odds for winning in 2021. The names they’re believed to be focused on thus far? Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott, Derek Carr, Carson Wentz, and Sam Darnold. A pretty decent list.
Except it doesn’t stop there.
According to a source, Pace and Nagy have done exhaustive research on far more quarterbacks than have been rumored or reported. There are some obvious ones like Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota, and Teddy Bridgewater. However, there are also a few names Bears fans may not have expected. Among them include Josh Rosen, Drew Lock, Tua Tagovailoa, and Case Keenum.
Rosen was the 10th overall pick back in 2018 but ran into some bad luck with the Cardinals and Dolphins and never really got a fair chance to play. Lock has shown flashes of promise in Denver but remains inconsistent. Tagovailoa seems like he is the guy in Miami but that could change if they fall in love with a top QB at the #3 overall pick. As for Keenum? Don’t forget he led Minnesota to the NFC championship in 2017. So the Cleveland Browns backup can play.
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Chicago Bears showing a clear sense of urgency
Something that tends to happen when jobs are on the line. Pace and Nagy understand their situation. They know George McCaskey gave them a reprieve this year. One a lot of people didn’t feel they deserved after two disappointing finishes in 2019 and 2020. If they show they can get the team back to a winning record and into the playoffs again, then it’s fair to think they’ll stick around long-term.
For that to happen though, they need a quarterback. If not a franchise guy, then at least somebody who could be called an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky. Right now their only known quantity is Nick Foles. His seven-game run last year did not go well. Resorting to him would be an admission of defeat in the minds of many. That is why the general belief is the Chicago Bears will be aggressive on the market.
It’s just a matter of who they can get and at what price.
Nobody is saying guys like Keenum or Mariota are viewed as the ideal solutions. They aren’t. However, the Bears know they can’t afford to be caught flatfooted if their preferred options don’t come to fruition. So they plan to gather as much data as possible. If it comes to settling for a lesser tier option? Then they are going to make sure they take the right one.