Chicago Bears: Ryan Pace will overpay for a quarterback

The Chicago Bears are likely going to overpay for their next quarterback, and it’s simply something fans are going to have to come to grips with.

There is no greater need on this team than a franchise quarterback. The defense has regressed some, but is still more than capable of being good enough to get to a Super Bowl — especially in today’s NFL where offense is simply more important and valuable than the defense.

Frankly, there is no greater need on any team than a franchise quarterback and it’s why historically teams have overpaid for them either in free agency or by moving up in the draft. Obtaining a franchise quarterback should come with a high premium.

However, when your general manager and head coach are trying to save their jobs, that premium increases significantly. And that’s the situation in which the Bears find themselves.

I had previously noted how dangerous it would be for the Bears to maintain the status quo by simply doing nothing with respect to the contracts of Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy. While not my preferred course of action, extending their deals would have been better then sending them into an offseason as lame ducks fighting for their jobs.

Chicago Bears will likely overpay for their guy

That’s because they will act in self-preservation mode and be very aggressive about acquiring a quarterback for next year. So much so, that it is highly likely they will overpay.

Look, Pace already has a predilection for giving up draft capital (many times more than necessary) to move up for his guy. Now he’s in a position where he has to make a splash and show progress next year or he could be out of a job. And make no mistake, the league’s general managers know it and will most certainly take advantage of his aggressiveness and desperation.

So don’t be surprised when you start to read some of the rumors about what Pace has or could offer for a particular quarterback. If you thought two first round picks is a lot to give up for a guy like Matthew Stafford or Derek Carr, wait till more and more veteran options dry up and Pace’s desperation grows. At this point, there is no check and balance to his desperation, and that is the fault of the McCaskeys.