LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears will pursue a veteran quarterback this offseason to push incumbent starter Mitchell Trubisky. That’s no secret.
Under no circumstances can the Bears enter the 2020 season with a quarterbacks room that consists solely of Trubisky, Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray.
For that reason, the Bears have to prepare for the likelihood of a midseason quarterback change by signing or trading for an experienced No. 2 passer who can take over for Trubisky (if necessary) and help Chicago still win games.
The good news is that there appears to be no shortage of quarterback options. The issue is finding the right one.
Here’s a look of possible quarterback options from most likely to least likely.
Why it makes sense: The Bengals are looking to trade Dalton, who has started 133 games since 2011. New Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor coached Dalton in Cincinnati. Dalton’s cap hit for 2020 is $17.7 million. Perhaps the Bengals can absorb a portion of the cost to better facilitate a trade to a team like the Bears. Dalton probably won’t cost much in terms of draft compensation. And the Bears project to have eight picks in April.
No question, Dalton fell out of favor in Cincinnati, but he passed for 4,000-plus yards twice and owns a career quarterback rating of 87.5. Dalton isn’t a savior, but he helped the Bengals reach the playoffs five times and the 32-year-old quarterback started nine years in the NFL.
The downside: The Bears will probably have competition to land Dalton. The Patriots need a new starting quarterback if Tom Brady leaves. The Bengals already said they would work with Dalton on a trade. Go to New England to start for a perennial winner? Go to Chicago to back up Trubisky? The choice is pretty obvious.
Why it makes sense: Keenum, 32, previously started for the Texans, Rams, Vikings, Broncos and Redskins. The veteran quarterback’s career year came in 2017 (22 touchdowns, 7 interceptions) when he led Minnesota to the NFC Championship Game. After mostly being a full-time starter the past couple of seasons, Keenum is a prime candidate to sign somewhere as a backup. Why not Chicago? Trubisky’s leash is not expected to be long and the Bears are not opposed to paying good money to reserve quarterbacks — Daniel made $10 million from Chicago in 2018-19.
The downside: By most estimations, Keenum isn’t a huge upgrade over Trubisky. There’s no guarantee Keenum can do for the Bears what he did for the Vikings in 2017. The fan base would probably greet the news of a Keenum signing with a collective shrug, or worse.
Why it makes sense: Mariota, 26, is another former starter (63 starts for the Titans) who could be forced to accept a backup role — for the time being. The Bears were fans of Mariota coming out of Oregon in 2016. Bears coach Matt Nagy’s decision to fire Mariota’s old college coach, offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, is hardly a deal-killer. The Titans benched Mariota for Ryan Tannehill last season and never looked back. Chicago presents Mariota with a good opportunity and a fresh start.
The downside: Again, is Mariota a big upgrade over Trubisky? It’s hard to tell. And Mariota — another former second overall pick — just lost his job. The comparisons to Trubisky are eerily similar.
Why it makes sense: Bridgewater is a winner. He fought through incredible medical adversity to again position himself as a full-time NFL starter. At 27, Bridgewater is experienced and savvy and went 5-0 last season filling in for an injured Drew Brees. For a team like the Bears, with an above-average defense, Bridgewater’s style of play last year for New Orleans would fit perfectly in Chicago.
The downside: Money. Bridgewater is probably looking for $25 million per year. The Bears can’t pay that unless they finally agree to move on from Trubisky. Trading for Dalton in the final season of his contract at $17.5 million is way different than signing a quarterback to a multiyear deal at $25 million per season. And Bridgewater isn’t looking to compete for job with someone like Trubisky. He anticipates signing with a team to be their full-time starter.
5. Alex Smith, Washington Redskins
Why it makes sense: Smith checks every box — except health. The veteran quarterback is super tight with Nagy from their time together in Kansas City. For years, Smith, 35, was one the most efficient quarterbacks in the AFC. Whatever system Nagy intends to run in 2020, Smith could probably master it. Smith was said to be terrific influence on a young Patrick Mahomes before the Chiefs traded Smith to the Redskins after the 2017 season.
The downside: Smith suffered a catastrophic leg injury in 2018 and hasn’t played since. There’s no telling whether Smith’s career is over.
Why it makes sense: Because he’s Tom Brady.
The downside: Why would he choose Chicago? What are Brady’s connections to the Bears? Brady is, of course, better than Trubisky, but Chicago has missed the playoffs eight of nine years. The Bears’ offense finished near the bottom in every important statistical category last year. The last great Bears quarterback was Sid Luckman who played in the 1940s. There are a couple of attractive destinations for Brady besides New England, but Chicago doesn’t appear to be one of them.