Chicago Bears: Could they make a serious run at Aaron Rodgers in 2021?
By Usayd Koshul
Would the Chicago Bears really consider making a serious run at Aaron Rodgers in 2021?
When it comes to the quarterback position for the Chicago Bears, nothing ever seems to go according to plan. The whole world knows that the Bears quarterback position has been a laughingstock over the last two decades. And history continues to repeat itself because whenever the Bears have the opportunity to get the position right, they seem to falter again. However, 2021 could be the year that the Bears finally get the position right, even if it’s just for a few years.
Bears fans are no stranger to Aaron Rodgers playing at Soldier Field. However, what if he were in a Bears uniform breaking hearts? With the Green Bay Packers drafting Rodgers apparent heir, it’s clear that Rodgers time in Green Bay could quickly be coming to a close.
Analyzing two major moves that Green Bay has made over the last two offseasons, it’s clear that there’s a youth movement happening in Green Bay. First, the hiring of General Manager Brian Gutekunst in 2018 and second, the hiring of head coach Matt LaFleur in 2019 signal one thing: Green Bay is preparing for life after Rodgers. The drafting of Utah State quarterback Jordan during the 2020 NFL Draft all but confirmed that.
Even Rodgers himself has admitted that he was surprised at the Packers picking a quarterback, when he expected a wide receiver to be picked. Here’s the deal: Love, LaFleur and Gutekunst are in Green Bay for at least the next three years. Rodgers is not.
Considering NFL teams that draft quarterbacks in the first-round need to play them at some point, don’t be surprised if we see Love get some playing time in year one. If he plays a significant amount of games, Green Bay could decide that 2021 is the year of Love, meaning the team is ready to move on from Rodgers.
As for the Bears, let’s say they acquire Rodgers next offseason, either via trade or free agency. First things first, it’s much more likely that the Bears do so via free agency, because the two teams haven’t traded with each other in nearly two decades.
Adding Rodgers via free agency in 2021 would be a simple plan: Bring in a quarterback who’d allow for the team to salvage a Super Bowl caliber defense while adding some instant juice to the offense.
If Bears general manager Ryan Pace is still around next year and he wants to be employed in 2022, then acquiring Rodgers could be the best way to save his own job, while also continuing to maximizing the Khalil Mack era.
Some Bears fans may hate seeing Rodgers in blue and orange next fall, however, if he does end up in The Windy City, it’d be a personal revenge tour for Rodgers as well. He’d get to show Green Bay that he’s got plenty left in the tank and that Green Bay has continued to fail him since long before drafting Love.
The dots seem to be connecting for the Bears here. Adding Rodgers in 2021 would be very similar to the Denver Broncos adding quarterback Peyton Manning and going to two Super Bowls, winning one. As loud as the Rodgers to Chicago noise has already been, it’s going to get even louder over the next months. Just be ready because Rodgers could be wearing blue and orange in 2021 because in the NFL, expect the unexpected.