Yes, it seems like the Chicago Bears are rumored to be interested in every quarterback that has ever lived at this point. Literally, every QB that has been rumored to be available, the Bears have been connected to. I’ve even seen some rumors of the Bears being tied to some QBs that aren’t available. At this point, Ryan Pace might toss a first-rounder for Fran Tarkenton. Now, according to at least one insider, the Bears trading for an elite QB is expected.
As of now, the two biggest targets are the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson and the Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson.
I don’t want to suggest that the Bears are desperate, they aren’t as there are still several options available. But there is a thought that the Bears trading for an elite QB is the route they will take. They aren’t interested in grabbing one of the lower-end quarterbacks, they are focusing on the top end of the market. So, Wilson or Watson.
One insider believes that the most likely QB will be Watson, and that is because how much the Bears are willing to spend on one.
Just now on NFL Live hmmmm #Bears pic.twitter.com/j3KN8TMU5L
— SELL THE WHITE SOX (@HashTagWhiteSox) March 1, 2021
Many believe that the Bears are willing to part with as many as five draft picks over the next two seasons. They are also able to part with a number of defensive starters, which will also help in opening cap space for the 2021 season.
The other thought on why the Bears would prefer Watson to Wilson is, although Watson has a gigantic contract, his 2021 cap hit is just under $16 million. That number does increase in 2022 through the 2025 season. In either case, the Bears wouldn’t be getting a slouch.
I know some are against the Bears trading for a QB. Their thought is the picks would be better suited to build a stronger foundation than tossing a QB out there to run for his life. While I understand that idea, the fact remains, the NFL is a QB league and those who have elite guys compete, those who don’t, don’t.
Yes, I see the conflict in saying that and the Texans’ 2020 record. But, quite honestly, the Texans had absolutely nothing else on their roster. It was the Watson show and that show still needs someone that can stop the football, make plays, and block. The Bears are a lot further along that route than the Texans are, and if the Bears had Watson on the 2020 team, they would have been a lot better.
Of course, the Texans are still suggesting they are holding onto Watson (cause they understand that QBs win in the NFL) but their hand will be played soon enough. They cannot wait too long and find themselves with a disgruntled QB that doesn’t report to camp. Also, a draft pick today is more valuable than a draft pick tomorrow. This is especially the case with the 2021 season and the impending cap situation.
We will likely see big movement on the Bears QB situation very soon. Sure, Pace downplayed things a little in his recent press conference, but the Bears are expected by everyone in the league to make a push.
“Everything is on the table in regards to the quarterback situation. That includes players on our roster, players in free agency, trade, the draft or a combination of all of those,” Pace said. “We have a plan in place and now it’s about executing that plan.”
Will that push be for Watson? Wilson? That’s yet to be seen, but I don’t expect Mitch Trubisky or Nick Foles taking snaps for the 2021 Bears team.
