The Bears believe in Mitch Trubisky, but only if they have to.
While they didn’t land a new quarterback on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period for free agents, they were reportedly checking in on several candidates. That’s a sharp turn from the public commitments they’ve made about banking on Trubisky this season.
The biggest name was Teddy Bridgewater from the Saints, whose link to the Bears appeared to be merely a flirtation. They were in, then out on him within an hour or so Monday, which likely means he wanted more money than they could afford.
The Vikings got to the playoffs with Bridgewater in 2015, but he tore his ACL in the preseason the next year. He missed virtually all of the 2016 and ’17 seasons before launching a comeback with the Saints.
They went 5-0 with him starting in place of Drew Brees last season, including a runaway win at Soldier Field. Bridgewater had a 99.1 passer rating over nine games.
Multiple reports had the Bears making calls on Nick Foles and Andy Dalton, too. Though neither is a free agent, both are thought to be available for trade or on their way to being released.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace has said he intends to address the quarterback issues, but his comments have indicated he’s more in the market for a No. 2 than someone who would actually challenge or replace Trubisky.
Taking a look at Bridgewater, though, was the first sign that Pace is willing to concede Trubisky isn’t working out. Taking a swing on someone like Bridgewater, who Spotrac projects as a $21.5-million-per-year player, would make it obvious the Bears were moving on from Trubisky.
Dalton and Foles are more established than Trubisky, but neither is an obvious upgrade.
Dalton is a three-time Pro Bowler, but has posted only one season with a passer rating of 92 or higher. The Bengals are looking to dump him after a three-year stretch in which he threw 62 touchdown passes and 37 interceptions and putting up an 84.2 passer rating.
A Dalton deal would hardly be cause for celebration, but he should be in the Bears’ price range. They could get him for a late-round pick (virtually the only kind of picks they have in the upcoming draft), and the Bengals would be expected to eat some of the $17.7 million on his contract for next season. With none of that money guaranteed, by the way, they will almost certainly cut him if they can’t make a trade.
Foles has had a similarly mediocre career outside of his Super Bowl run with the Eagles. In 16 games over the last three seasons, he had an 88.7 passer rating.
If the Bears can’t get in the mix for Foles or Dalton, the next tier is headlined by former top picks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Mariota went off the board late Monday when he agreed to a deal with the Raiders.
Any new players that reach an agreement with the Bears, as tight end Jimmy Graham reportedly did, will encounter hurdles as they acclimate.
The NFL and NFLPA jointly barred players from making free-agent visits or having any in-person contact with club officials because of coronavirus concerns. Free agents and teams can agree on a neutral physician in the player’s home city for physicals or go off medical records from their previous team.
The league also indefinitely suspended offseason programs, which are typically workouts and informal gatherings. There has been no announcement on Organized Team Activities, which typically begin in May.
The Bears, meanwhile, said they will keep Halas Hall and their downtown offices closed indefinitely. They have instructed most employees, including the coaching staff, to work from home. They also will not hold introductory press conferences for any of their new players.
