Chicago Bears: 3 candidates to be third QB on roster in wake of new rule

This week, NFL owners have been busy discussing rule changes. For the Chicago Bears, one particular rule change might come into play.

Justin Fields has been hurt a couple of times in his first two seasons, but has escaped any serious limitation, fortunately. However, last year, the Bears were forced to play all three of the quarterbacks on their roster between the active 46-man game day roster and practice squad, due to injuries.

A new bylaw which was passed by owners on Monday will now allow teams to dress a third quarterback on game day without using up a roster spot. But, that third quarterback would have to be part of the active roster already. So, the Bears would activate a player off their practice squad each week to be part of the game day roster.

If Chicago decided to carry three quarterbacks, they have some options. Some are in-house, others might not be. But, let’s look at three candidates for the job, if the Bears opted to take advantage.

Candidates to be Chicago Bears third QB on the roster: Chase Brice

If the Bears wanted to look outside the organization for another option to join the quarterback competition, they could sign undrafted free agent Chase Brice, who has still not been signed.

The former Appalachian State quarterback set the single-season record for passing yards in a season, there, back in 2021 when he threw for 3,337 yards. And, even though he only played two seasons for the Mountaineers, Brice sits no. 6 all-time in passing yards in school history with 6,258.

Standing 6-foot-2, Brice has ideal size for the position but an average arm overall. He does need to clean up some of his technical aspects, such as his footwork and possibly putting a little more touch on his passes. But, as a developmental prospect, he’s worth a look.

If the Bears didn’t want to look at Brice, then obviously it’s looking at the guys already in the building, starting with another undrafted quarterback.