Rumors have flown in every direction since Robert Quinn elected to not attend any of the Chicago Bears’ spring activities. Voluntary minicamps, Organized Team Activities, and mandatory minicamps were all skipped. Clearly, he was sending a message that he desired a possible train out of town. The 32-year-old wants to play for a championship contender. What people didn’t know for sure is whether he’d extend the holdout into training camp itself.
We finally have an answer. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Pro Bowl pass rusher has decided to join the team at Halas Hall. He will participate in camp. It is another welcome piece of news for the Bears’ defense. At one point 24 hours ago, it felt like they might not have Quinn, Jaquan Brisker, and Roquan Smith available for practice due to holdouts. Now Brisker is signed, and Quinn is rejoining the team.
A nice morale boost for the locker room.
#Bears pass rusher Robert Quinn has reported to training camp, per source.
Quinn, who had 18 1/2 sacks in 2021, skipped last month’s mandatory minicamp. He’s due $12.9 million in 2022.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 26, 2022
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Robert Quinn understands the task ahead.
His leverage in any trade plans was never strong. The Bears control his contract rights for three more years. That doesn’t mean they’re unwilling to listen to his request. It is only that they have no reason to feel pressured to get a deal done if he tries to hold them hostage. His best course of action is to come in, play great, and stay healthy. If he does that and the Bears are bad, as many expect, there is a strong possibility he’ll get his wish before the trade deadline passes in October.
If he continues the trend he was on last year when he had 18 sacks, teams will push that much harder to claim his services. There are plenty of landing spots that make sense for him. Arizona and Buffalo come to mind. In the meantime, he should be an excellent fit for Matt Eberflus’ 4-3 system. Defensive end was always his best spot. With how aggressive this scheme is, he’ll fit right in.
