Which Free Agent Quarterback would make the Chicago Bears the most fun?
By Matt Graves
Everyone knows the Chicago Bears need a new quarterback, but which one would make them the most fun?
When the Chicago Bears drafted Mitchell Trubisky with the second pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, general manager Ryan Pace thought he had his franchise quarterback. Despite having two encouraging seasons with stellar defense, the North Carolina alumn is not the long-term solution for the franchise.
The Bears managed to squeak out an NFC North division title in 2018, then followed up with a mediocre 8-8 2019 season. While this is a good team, they will have to get creative this offseason, even without a first-round draft pick. Luckily, there are plenty of options at quarterback that Ryan Pace can explore.
Trubisky doesn’t need to be cut (…yet), but adding a competent quarterback to complement this playoff-caliber team will make the difference. Here are some quarterback options that could make the Bears a fun team to watch next season.
5. Tom Brady
Why It’d Be Fun
This will mark the first time in Brady’s iconic career that he will be exposed to the free-agent market. If Brady decides to leave, it would be fun to watch him prove he’s capable of winning without head coach Bill Belichick. Think about it, if the 42-year old goes to the Windy City he’ll have a talented defense to work with and an offensive guru in Matt Nagy who could get all that’s left out of Brady’s tank. Plus, wouldn’t it be fun to watch Brady duke it out against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers twice (maybe three times) a year?
How Plausible Is It
Even if the Bears and Brady come to an agreement on a contract, it’d be a miracle. There will be challenges to sign him, especially with the Bears salary cap situation. But, the Brady going to the Bears isn’t so crazy. He has a tendency to make players better around him, and coming to Chicago would be a big step forward for the team’s Super Bowl dreams.
4. Andy Dalton
Why It’d Be Fun
Dalton has only known one team, and now that team is abandoning him for a newer model. The rebuilding Bengals are almost certain to draft LSU standout Joe Burrow, meaning Dalton will have to find a new home. The 32-year old would likely be the starter out of the gates instead of Trubisky, and would be and older, wiser version of whatever the Bears want Trubisky to be. That bar isn’t very high, but it’s higher than where it currently rests. If Dalton decides to come to Chicago, it’ll be also serve as a reunion for him. Bears offensive coordinator, Bill Lazor, worked with the Bengals offense from 2017-2018. Cincy’s offense wasn’t particularly dominant but the Bears don’t need a world-beater to ride their defense further than where we’ve seen Trubisky is able to take it.
How Plausible Is It
In his nine-year career, his ability to throw and be efficient would be a perfect match for the Bears. The 32-year old still has some years left in him and with his leadership, he could be signed at a decent price. Dalton’s history of production would be something Pace should consider if he wants to pursue him.
3. Cam Newton
Why It’d Be Fun
The Carolina Panthers are in a tough decision on what to do with their prized quarterback. It makes a ton sense, especially after Newton sent signals he would be open to the idea of going to Chicago. Newton, who’ll be 31 in May, has more years of his prime behind him than ahead, but he’d instantly be a player that the Bears could build around moving forward. Newton can be a mobile threat, has a canon for an arm still, literally tells defenses what he’s going to run and still beats them, and is the type of special quarterback that could elevate Matt Nagy’s league-wide reputation as an offensive innovator. Whether or not he’s lost a bit off what he used to be is yet to be seen, but even 70 percent of Cam is better and more electric than a fully loaded Trubisky.
Also consider this: The last time Newton played with a stellar defense, he took them to the Super Bowl.
How Plausible Is It
Without a first-round draft pick, the Bears would have to all-in on a healthy Newton. If not, the Bears shouldn’t dare to take a gamble on him. Adding the former first overall pick would be a massive upgrade, but it sounds like the Panthers are going to roll with Cam in 2020 which makes this even less possible than it already was.
2. Derek Carr
Why It’d Be Fun
If Derek Carr’s Instagram post wasn’t enough to fuel speculation of a potential trade, it’s a real possibility. The future of the Raiders quarterback has been a discussion basically since Jon Gruden arrived, and a new city for the team could mean a new signal caller. In his six-year career, Carr has been baseline good enough to prove he can elevate a team (lest we forget he was a broken ankle away from possibly taking the Raiders on a deep playoff run a three years ago), and his numbers are an instant upgrade over Trubisky. Carr is coming off back-to-back 4,000 passing yard seasons. Additionally, his passer rating (90.7) and completion percentage (64.0), are an improvement over what Chicago has now. He’s the least sexy of the Bears possible options but he’s Frosted Flakes compared to Trubusiky’s store-brand version.
How Plausible Is It
Carr’s base salary of $18.9 million and the Bears currently have that much in terms of cap space. This would be a challenge for the Bears who would be right up against the cap. It’s unlikely anything will happen to Carr until March, but the team would have interest if the Raiders cut him.
1. Teddy Bridgewater
Why It’d Be Fun
At 27-years old, Teddy Bridgewater has a lot of upside and edge. Bridgewater helped the Saints strive without Drew Brees this past season, but his success has been almost forgotten about with Brees returning for another year and the fetishizing of Taysom Hill’s talents. What Saints fans won’t appreciate, Bears fans will welcome with open arms. Returning to the NFC North, a division he’s familiar with from this days with the Minnesota Vikings, could be viewed as the completion of a story we never thought we’d get an ending to.
Football is all about narratives, and Bridgewater polishing off his comeback by helping this version of the Bears have the type of success we think they can have would be Foles-ian. He’d be hard to root against from a generalists standpoint and he’d make the Bears less depressing, which is never a bad thing.
How Plausible Is It
It’s not very often that a quarterback in his late twenties is on the open market. The Bears don’t have the necessary picks to address this situation, but Bridgewater gives them a fighting chance. While he might be too expensive for the team, at best, he would be part of the Bears long haul for years to come.