Chicago Bears signing P.J. Walker is a genius move by Ryan Poles

This week, the Chicago Bears have been busy as NFL free agency has gone into full swing.

General manager Ryan Poles is off and running, and got going a little early with the move of the offseason before free agency even opened up. Poles traded the number 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers, acquiring two first-round picks, two second-round picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore.

Now that Justin Fields has his true alpha wide receiver in Moore, Poles is looking to continue to build around his franchise quarterback.

Wednesday night, the Bears found Fields a more suitable backup when they signed former Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker. Now, Fields has a more mobile backup quarterback who also happens to have a cannon of an arm. It’s truly a move fans should love to see.

Let’s not forget, either, that Walker was the one who, last year, threw this ball to his now-once-again teammate, Moore.

Signing backup quarterback P.J. Walker was a genius move by Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles

Walker comes in as a much more sensible backup for Fields, as he shares similar characteristics. He isn’t as prolific as a rusher, but he’s certainly mobile enough to escape the pocket. Not to mention, he already has chemistry with the Bears’ newest wideout.

Walker was forced into action with five starts for Carolina last year, where he went 2-3 and threw for 731 yards, three touchdowns and three picks.

This is a move that might signal the end for last year’s backup quarterback, Trevor Siemian, who originally signed a two-year deal with the Bears. Chicago can cut Siemian and save roughly $2 million against the cap, which would make sense now that Walker is in town.

With the quarterback room looking solid, Poles should now continue to focus on his offensive line and particularly at tackle.

The free agency case of Orlando Brown Jr. has been a curious one, and one can only hope that the Bears wind up in favor of his services. If that happens, Poles indeed should be handed the key to the city as Chase Claypool suggested the other day.