The Chicago Bears have quarterback questions looming on the horizon. Nick Foles isn’t their future as a starter. Mitch Trubisky will be a free agent. They won’t pick high in the 1st round either. So it will be interesting to see what they do. Retaining Trubisky is a possibility given his recently improved play. Others wonder if they might explore other options. Perhaps on the trade market. One name gaining a lot of traction lately in that area is Carson Wentz.
The former Pro Bowler experienced a year to forget in 2020. He completed barely 57% of his passes with 16 touchdowns and a career-high 15 interceptions. Too many times during games he looked entirely broken. His mechanics had gotten lazy and he just never seemed comfortable. That is what eventually led the Philadelphia Eagles to bench him in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts.
Now there is rampant speculation Philly will try to trade him.
That will prove difficult considering they handed the QB a massive contract extension not too long ago. One that still carries a lot of guaranteed money left to pay. Not to mention a $34 million cap hit in 2021. Finding a team willing to trade high draft picks for that will be a monumental challenge. Either the Eagles will have to accept lower compensation than normal or they’ll have to eat a sizable amount of that money.
Wentz has reportedly made it clear he has no designs on being a backup. If he can’t start for the Eagles, he has no problem going somewhere else. Where though? Speculation continues to ramp up on possibilities. Most believe a reunion with Frank Reich in Indianapolis makes the most sense. However, Kalyn Kahler of Bleacher Report has it on good authority the Bears should not be ignored. Especially if Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace return in 2021.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
“Bears general manager Ryan Pace and his staff were interested in Wentz ahead of the 2016 draft and had looked into trading up for him that year. But based on his 2020 performance, NFL insiders aren’t sold that Wentz would be an upgrade over Trubisky. Head coach Matt Nagy has a close relationship with Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, whose opinion could factor in.”
Carson Wentz was really good. Can he be again?
Some people are treating Wentz’s season as if it’s living proof the quarterback was always bad. This simply is not true. Just last season he threw for over 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns with seven interceptions while getting Philadelphia to the playoffs. He had 33 touchdowns in 13 games in 2017 before he tore up his knee. The guy is capable of playing high-level football. It’s a matter of two issues.
How severe is this recent mental block and can he stay healthy for a full season? Some feel the offensive approach by head coach Doug Pederson wasn’t doing him any favors. It led to accentuate the problems Carson Wentz was having rather than trying to alleviate them. After so many repeated blows to his confidence, the breaking point became inevitable. Does this mean the QB is unsalvageable?
Not necessarily.
He’s still just 28-years old. He is in his prime. Put in a more favorable system? He could regain his confidence. Chicago employs John DeFilippo who was Wentz’s quarterbacks coach during his best season in 2017. That familiarity could certainly help matters. For the Bears, it is about the price tag. They need to be absolutely sure he can become that franchise-caliber guy again because it will be a heavy toll to pay in order to get him. Both in money and draft picks.