Chicago Bears have limited options after Matthew Stafford trade news
By Ryan Heckman
Option 2: The Chicago Bears go all-in on trading for a veteran, again
If it’s not Stafford (and it likely won’t be) it could be another veteran. But, this time it cannot be to the level of Nick Foles for a fourth-round pick. This time, it would have to be a much bigger move.
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One of the names floated around lately, along with Stafford, is Atlanta Falcons long-timer starter Matt Ryan. That’s a deal which would immediately propel this Bears team to Super Bowl contender.
But, it would cost a lot — and not necessarily from a draft capital standpoint. The cost would be more in terms of the Bears trimming the fat around their salary situation. If the Bears went after Ryan and his $40.9 million cap hit in 2021, they would undoubtedly be cutting or trading some key names on defense.
A more realistic option for the Bears would be a guy like Derek Carr, whose salary is a much more modest chunk of change (a $22 million cap hit this coming season). It’s either someone like Carr or the Eagles’ Carson Wentz, and I’m fairly certain the former would not end with the fan base rioting as they might with the latter.
Regardless of which veteran the Bears may choose, Pace now has pressure on his shoulders to make a move, period. Heck, the Lions are making a drastic quarterback change. That’s saying something.