Chicago Bears: 5 players breathing sigh of relief after 2021 NFL Draft
By Ryan Heckman
Chicago Bears outside linebacker Robert Quinn should feel relieved after the 2021 NFL Draft
Going into the draft, you could have convinced people that the Bears had a need at edge, or outside linebacker. It’s tough to see it on the surface, especially when you have a guy like Khalil Mack at one of the starting spots.
But, on the other side starting is Robert Quinn. Last year, the Bears gave Quinn a 5-year deal worth $70 million to come and form a dynamic duo between he and Mack. In his first year with the Bears, Quinn posted the lowest sack total of his career — just 2.0 all season long. He also finished the year with zero tackles for loss and only six quarterback hits — also career lows.
Behind Quinn and Mack are second-year pro Trevis Gipson and veteran Jeremiah Attaochu. Based on his performance last year, Quinn should already be a little nervous that those two will eat into his playing time. However, the Bears can get out of Quinn’s contract after this season with somewhat minimal losses. So, he should be watching his back no matter what after last season’s showing.
The fact that the Bears didn’t even invest one pick into the position should say they feel confident in both Gipson and Attaochu to back the starters up. Most importantly for Quinn, it gives him a bode of confidence that they’re not necessarily looking to replace him — yet. Hopefully, the 2021 season is a turnaround year for Quinn.