Most people will probably see Nick Foles as the primary acquisition that will define the Chicago Bears 2020 offseason. That is fair. He’s a quarterback and quarterbacks rule the NFL. That said, it should not surprise anybody if looking back a couple of years from now that the acquisition of Robert Quinn is really what had the most substantial impact on this team.
It was a genuine surprise when the Bears handed the veteran pass rusher a five-year deal in free agency. For one it was a clear indication that GM Ryan Pace was abandoning the Leonard Floyd experiment. For another, it was an investment meant to get the absolute most out of Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks. Forming perhaps the most talented front seven the Bears have had since the 1980s.
Obviously money played a part in his decision, but it’s not like Quinn wasn’t in high demand. He’d just delivered 11.5 sacks in 2019 and is widely viewed as one of the most disruptive sack artists in the league. So there were other options. Why choose the Bears? For him, the reasoning was pretty simple as he told the Chicago media during his recent press conference.
Robert Quinn got the best of both worlds in coming to Chicago
A smart free agent always seeks balance. He needs to find a team that will pay him good money, but also find a landing spot that gives him the best chance to continue having success. In this regard, Quinn showed supreme savvy. He got $30 million in guaranteed money at age 29, which is pretty damn good. Then he coupled that with being able to play alongside a likely future Hall of Famer in Mack.
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He also lands in a city that appreciates its defense. While he made the most of his time in Dallas, that franchise has a history of treating its defensive players like second-class citizens. The Bears are a defensively-driven franchise and have been for generations. If he delivers with them, his legacy will be enhanced like never before. Don’t forget that Quinn himself already has 90 career sacks. He could enter the Hall of Fame conversation too with a few more good years.
Doing that in Chicago will only help his profile. So yeah, not a bad career decision.
