Chicago Bears Free Agency: Ranking realistic QB options
By Ryan Heckman
Much has been made of what Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears will do at quarterback once free agency starts.
But, will they try to replace starter Mitchell Trubisky altogether? The never-ending debate will get a final answer within the next couple of months, that’s for certain. Ryan Pace has to know within his heart of hearts that the Chicago Bears have a window to win right now — and Trubisky is one of the main weak links.
Free agency begins March 18, but the legal tampering period opens Monday, March 16. It’s at that time where we will begin to hear about deals agreed upon, so that’s the day to really start paying attention.
The Bears have options outside of free agency. In fact, they have plenty of options outside of both free agency and the draft.
If you’re like me, you might love to see the Bears trade for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. Assuming the Raiders either land Tom Brady or draft Jon Gruden’s franchise quarterback, Carr would be expendable — and a great fit with the Bears.
Other names which have been mentioned over the last few weeks are, of course, Andy Dalton and Cam Newton. It is unlikely the Bears take a shot on someone like Nick Foles, but that’s not impossible.
Back to free agents, though. Realistically, the Bears won’t end up with Brady. It’s also not plausible to see Teddy Bridgewater or Philip Rivers in Chicago. With that in mind, we shift our focus to a handful of names that make the most sense in Chicago, for one reason or another.
Let me be clear that I wouldn’t necessarily love all of the following quarterbacks, but they are options.