Dan Quinn as head coach could signal blockbuster Chicago Bears trade

Current Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is scheduled to complete his second interview for the Chicago Bears head coaching vacancy on Wednesday. For Quinn, this will be the first time in which he will have an interview with the Bears’ new general manager. On Tuesday, the Bears officially announced that Ryan Poles will serve as the team’s new general manager.

For Quinn, the Cowboys defensive coordinator does have a connection with Poles. Prior to his time with Dallas, Quinn served as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 through five games of the 2020 season. The quarterback of Quinn’s Falcons teams was Matt Ryan. Ryan is close friends with Poles as the two were teammates together at Boston College. Through Ryan, it is believed that Quinn and Poles have developed a connection.

Quinn is the second scheduled interview that the Bears have on tap for Wednesday. Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is scheduled to interview first with the team on Wednesday and Quinn is set to interview after. With Quinn also being a finalist to be the next head coach of the Denver Broncos, it stands to reason that the Bears could move to hire the former Falcons’ head coach if the interview goes well today.

If the Bears do move forward and hire Quinn as the team’s head coach, it is possible that another one of the coach’s connections could lead to a blockbuster trade for the team to this off-season. Falcons’ wide receiver Calvin Ridley is believed to be one of the top trade candidates this off-season and there is an obvious connection that he has with Quinn.

Calvin Ridley would provide a major improvement to the Chicago Bears offense and a significant pairing with quarterback Justin Fields.

Ridley stepped away from the Falcons after 5 games this season in order to focus on his mental health and there is speculation that the wide receiver will look for a fresh start elsewhere. Quinn’s love for Ridley has been apparent as he reached out to Ridley during the 2021 season.

With Allen Robinson set to become a free agent this off-season, the Bears are going to have a clear need at the wide receiver position. With limited draft picks at Poles’ disposal this off-season and with even more limited cap space, the trade market could be the area that Poles turns to  in order to address the wide receiver position.

Through his first four seasons in the NFL, Ridley has proven to be an elite wide receiver when on the field. In those four seasons, Ridley has compiled 3,342 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns on 248 receptions. Ridley, at 27 years of age, is the exact, elite receiver that the Chicago Bears should want to pair with a potential franchise quarterback in Justin Fields.