The Bears have several needs they need to address this offseason, but none is as big a topic of conversation as the quarterback position.
While the Bears remain committed to Mitchell Trubisky as their starting quarterback in 2020, a lot can change between now and the start of the NFL season. Chicago is expected to explore the free agent market this offseason, as well as look to the NFL Draft for a young prospect to develop.
There were some quarterbacks that shined on the Senior Bowl stage, including Oregon’s Justin Herbert, Utah State’s Jordan Love and Washington State’s Anthony Gorgon. But there are some quarterbacks that didn’t help their draft stock following a week of practices and Saturday’s game.
The Bears are looking for answers at the quarterback position, not another problem. Which is why they should beware of drafting these three quarterbacks.
1. QB Shea Patterson, Michigan
The Senior Bowl presented an opportunity for Shea Patterson to make a case for him to be drafted this April. But unfortunately that wasn’t the case for the Michigan quarterback, who actually made a case why teams should steer clear of selecting him in the NFL Draft.
Patterson was the worst quarterback in Mobile, and he struggled with accuracy both in practices and during Saturday’s game. Patterson completed 6-of-10 passes for 131 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception and added 9 yards rushing in the game. While Patterson did make some nice plays, he followed those up with overthrows (including an interception) that left you scratching your head.
2. QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
Jalen Hurts’ stock wasn’t particularly high heading into Senior Bowl week, but he certainly didn’t help himself with his performance in Mobile. While Hurts’ mobility and leadership skills were on display, so were his struggles with accuracy and mechanics. He eventually battled back during practices to earn a practice player of the week from his peers.
Hurts had an underwhelming performance during the Senior Bowl game, where he finished 6-for-13 for 58 yards, a touchdown and an interception. While he had some nice throws, he struggled with pocket presence and accuracy. The Bears already have a project on their roster in Trubisky, and you have to wonder why they’d bring in another developmental project with similar issues.
3. QB Steven Montez, Colorado
Another quarterback that needed a strong week to help raise his draft stock was Colorado’s Steven Montez, who had an up-and-down week at the Senior Bowl and showed that the Bears might be wise to stay clear of drafting him.
Montez started off the week strong, but he made mistakes as practices wore on during the week. During Saturday’s game, Montez completed 3-of-8 passes for 24 yards and an interception. Montez’s impressive arm strength was on display, but he showed little pocket presence and inconsistent accuracy.
