2017 NFL Draft: Bears Must Fight Own History, Invest in Top Quarterback

Mediocrity at the quarterback position is part of the Chicago Bears’ recent legacy. Will they try to change their luck with a high pick in the 2017 NFL Draft?

Ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft, I looked back through Chicago Bears lore in an effort to understand the sad history of their quarterback position.

While doing so, a half-heeded fact struck me as I focused on the 1985 Bears, which gave Chicago its lone Super Bowl title.

Lost in the legend of historic defense and a punishing running game, it’s easy to forget that starting quarterback Jim McMahon wasn’t a late-round project or low-risk free agent signing.

The Bears took him with the fifth overall pick in 1983: the highest a Bears quarterback had taken since drafting Notre Dame’s Bob Williams second overall in 1951.

True, he didn’t exactly revolutionize the quarterback position during his Bears tenure—he threw for just 2,392 yards and 15 TDs in 1985. But he still rewarded the Bears with four playoff appearances, a Super Bowl title, and their first Pro Bowl QB since 1963.

Fast forward 31 years, and no Bears quarterback has duplicated McMahon’s success, however tied it might be to a great team. And the long years of failure at quarterback track the Bears’ three-decade title drought.

Since 1985, the Bears have drafted 13 quarterbacks, only three of whom—Jim Harbaugh (1^st-Rd; #26 overall), Rex Grossman (1^st-Rd; #22 overall), and Kyle Orton (4^th-Rd; #106 overall)—ever started more than half a season. Coincidentally, each of them also led the Bears to the playoffs at least once.

Of the other 13 QBs, only Cade McNown (1^st-rd, #12 overall) was drafted before the fourth round.

And of the 35 total quarterbacks who have started a game for the Bears since 1985, only three not drafted/originally signed by the team—Steve Walsh, Jim Miller, and Jay Cutler—led the team to the playoffs (1 appearance apiece).

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In short, the Bears’ refusal to draft top quarterback talent have left this franchise and its fans pining for better. And that’s not even counting all the half-hearted attempts to address the position in free agency and trades.

Also, as the NFL has evolved into a more offense-centric league, the Bears’ woes at quarterback stand out more. After all, it’s been seven straight years without a playoff berth.

Sure, we can point to the ’85 Bears, the 2000 Ravens, or 2015 Broncos as if legendary defenses dominate the postseason in spite of bad quarterbacks all the time. But that’s not true.

In fact, last month’s Super Bowl was a stark example of a team winning because they had the better quarterback.

How would Bears fans know what that’s like? After all, while defense may “win championships”, good quarterback play helps get you shot at the title.

To illustrate this, ~61% (65/107 games) of playoff games from the last five years were won by first-round quarterbacks. And of 32 wins by quarterbacks drafted 3^rd round or later, 29 wins belong to Tom Brady or Russell Wilson. That’s the exception, not the rule.

Even the Bears’ limited sample size with first-round QBs agrees with this. Three of the Bears’ last four 1st-round quarterbacks (75%) led them to the playoffs as opposed to one (11%) of nine QBs selected Day 2 or later.

Also, about 40% of the 99 1st-round QBs drafted since the NFL/AFL merger have made at least one Pro Bowl. In comparison, about 21% of 2^nd/3^rd-rounders and only about 6% of those drafted 4^th round or later. Pro Bowls aren’t a measure of championships, but they do give insight into whether a quarterback is productive. And on that note, the Bears haven’t had a Pro Bowl quarterback since McMahon in 1985.

Yes, there’s risk, but the Bears can’t keep waiting “until next year” to address this problem. Before you know it, “next year” turns into 30+ years with no franchise QB or Lombardi trophy in Chicago. The return of the 46 defense and the ghost of Mike Ditka won’t return this franchise to relevance. Finding a real quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft might, however.

So, no offense to Mike Glennon, but it’s time the Bears demanded more of themselves at the quarterback position than middling free agents and journeymen.

Stop using the failure of McNown and Grossman as an excuse not to seek a sustainable future at this sport’s most important position.

And stop wasting picks on guys like Nathan Enderle, Dan LeFevour and (for the 2017 NFL draft) Nate Peterman when you can have better. The Bears’ own past shows that approach doesn’t work.

Next: Signing Sanchez Does Not Alter Bears' Draft Plans

The perfect storm surrounding the Bears has brought into focus what’s been true for almost 30 years. The time is now, not later, to look for a true franchise quarterback.

And I wouldn’t be scared of trying and failing the way the Cleveland Browns have (53 years without a title).

We’re more than halfway to their drought already because we haven’t tried nearly hard enough.