Over the last few weeks, the Chicago Bears have been linked to every quarterback that’s been in the rumor mill this offseason.
First, it was Matthew Stafford. Then Deshaun Watson and somewhere in between, Chicago was linked to Carson Wentz and still continues to be linked to Derek Carr.
The Bears have continued to be silent. While this is an organization that’s shown it’s not one to leak anything to the media, it’s hard to analyze how Chicago’s quarterback situation could play out.
The silence this time at Halas Hall is different for the Chicago Bears.
Remember, the last time Chicago operated in silence when it came to the quarterback position was in 2017. That silence landed the Bears Mitchell Trubisky, costing the franchise two third round picks and a fourth-round pick in the process.
Just five years after selecting Trubisky, Chicago is once again in the market for a quarterback. While Wentz having been traded to the Indianapolis Colts for a pair day two draft picks, Chicago’s options at quarterback are now dwindling.
For many, the silence at Halas Hall has led to some intriguing questions. By passing on Wentz, do the Bears have another option like Carr in mind? What about the possibility of trading for a guy like Watson? That would require trading away significant draft capital both now and in the future.
One significant aspect of the silence at Halas Hall which is being overlooked is that Chicago could even decide the best route to go this offseason at quarterback is retaining Trubisky on a cheap deal. The key word there is cheap deal for two reasons. First, Trubisky hasn’t shown anything to warrant being signed to a long-term deal. Second, bringing Trubisky back in 2021 would mean the Bears are once again playing musical chairs at the quarterback position during the 2022 offseason.
The silence could also mean Chicago is exploring its options at quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Bears aren’t going to land Trevor Lawrence (Clemson), who’s expected to go first overall. That leaves Chicago with the opportunity to trade up for either Justin Fields (Ohio State) or Zach Wilson (BYU). Fields and Wilson are projected to be top-10 picks, meaning Chicago would need to trade a 2022 first-round pick in order to trade up from 20th overall to acquire either.
Then there are two wild cards in Trey Lance (North Dakota State) and Mac Jones (Alabama). Jones has been labeled by some to be a perfect fit in Nagy’s offense, while Lance has earned the label of a player with all the tools and traits needed to be a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL but is still very raw. Both could be options for the Bears at 20th overall but a trade up for either shouldn’t be out of the cards.
Overall, the silence at Halas Hall is something to monitor over the next few months. Chicago has operated in this capacity before and it lead to one of the biggest blunders in Bears history. While no NFL team is going to publicly disclose what their plans for quarterback are, whatever move the Bears make this offseason will impact the franchise for years to come.
