Peter King is one of the most respected sports writers in the business and has followed the NFL for decades. Few are more plugged in or have a more valued opinion on the game than him. It’s for this reason that his latest column for the MMQB drew interest for Bears fans. In it he listed a bunch of quarterbacks on the market, either via free agency or trade.
One name that came up was A.J. McCarron, the current backup for the Cincinnati Bengals. King had a fascinating prediction regarding the former two-time national champion, and it involved the Bears.
“McCarron wants to play somewhere, and he knows that Andy Dalton (three starts missed in six seasons) isn’t giving up the chair. He could be an interesting fallback guy for, say, Chicago if the Bears flunk out on their two or three top choices.”
If any teams understands about living in the purgatory of just missing out on top quarterback options, it’s the Bears. There is still a very good chance this team could end up missing out on big names like Jimmy Garoppolo or Mitch Trubisky. Rumors are growing that the odds favor either Garoppolo staying in New England or the Browns trading one of their first round picks for him.
As for Trubisky, the threat lingers that either either Cleveland or San Francisco could easily take him at #1 or #2 in the first round. Thus the Bears are forced into a difficult decision. Do they take a risk on one of the remaining top draft prospects or attempt to find another option who might have youth but also some experience? Enter McCarron.
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At this point people aren’t sure how to feel about McCarron. He did nothing but win in college at Alabama, claiming two national championships. He’s got size, intelligence and leadership qualities. His arm isn’t a cannon but it’s strong enough to take shots down the field. Above all he’s quite effective at protecting the football. All things that head coach John Fox loves.
McCarron is 26-years old and in the final year of his current contract. Odds are he’ll be a free agent in 2018, so the Bengals may be more open to trade discussions. He comes with some experience too, having started three games for Cincinnati in 2015. That includes one in the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers. To top it off? He’d come at a cheaper price than Garoppolo will.
The question is whether this is a guy one could be a champion around. He may have enjoyed the ride at Alabama, but that program has carried scrubs to championships for years under Nick Saban. It’s hard to know for sure where McCarron stands. Most view him as a game manager. Somebody who won’t lose the game for you, but can win it by himself.
Maybe not the home run option the Bears are hoping for, but perhaps one who can buy them some time and win a few games until they find somebody better.
