Sources: Bears’ interest in Carson Wentz cooled days before Eagles-Colts trade

The Chicago Bears’ interest in Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz cooled days prior to Thursday’s trade with the Colts, NFL sources tell FanSided.

The Chicago Bears were considered to be a front-runner to land Carson Wentz in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, but league sources tell FanSided that the team’s interest cooled in the days leading up to Thursday’s trade that sent Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts.

Multiple sources tell FanSided that as of Wednesday, the Bears no longer had any interest in trying to trade for Wentz, which might have spurred the Eagles on to accepting the Colts’ offer of a 2021 third-round draft pick and a conditional second-round choice in 2022.

It would seem the Colts were the only remaining suitor for Wentz by the time the deal was consummated, which might have played a hand in the Eagles accepting a deal that returns less than the two first-round picks general manager Howie Roseman had previously been seeking.

As it stands, Indianapolis sends the No. 85 overall pick in 2021, and the conditional second-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft can become a first-rounder if Wentz plays at least 75 percent of the Colts’ offensive snaps or if Wentz plays 70 percent of the Colts’ offensive snaps and Indianapolis makes the postseason.

This is a deal that on the surface, appears to work out for both teams. The Eagles rid themselves of a disgruntled quarterback who clearly had been seeking a change of scenery since before being benched late last season, perhaps even netting a first-round pick in the process.

Meanwhile, with a healthy Wentz, the Colts would seem to be favorites in the AFC South for the next several seasons given the fact that Indianapolis has one of the NFL’s premier offensive lines in place, a pair of dynamic receivers in T.Y. Hilton and Michael Pittman Jr., and a terrific running back in Jonathan Taylor.

Wentz reunites with Colts head coach Frank Reich, who was the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2017 when Philadelphia won the Super Bowl and Wentz performed at an MVP-caliber level for the first 14 weeks before suffering a torn ACL that December.

It also begs to question, though, how much more the Eagles might have been able to fetch for Wentz had the Bears’ interest remained or Roseman had been able to drive a more robust market for Wentz.

Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.