Easily the biggest offseason conversation surrounding the Bears has been how they’re going to handle the quarterback position.
While Mitchell Trubisky has been named the starter for the 2020 season, that’s not guaranteed beyond this season or even at the start. Which means the Bears will likely be in the market for a new quarterback.
Chicago is already expected to target a veteran signal caller in free agency, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they also drafted a young quarterback to develop.
With that in mind, here are five quarterback prospects the Bears should watch at the NFL Scouting Combine next week:
1. Jordan Love, Utah State
Utah State quarterback Jordan Love is the kind of player the Bears would love — an athletic, dual-threat quarterback with a big arm. But Chicago certainly wouldn’t be the only team in need of his services.
Love certainly regressed in his senior season, throwing for 20 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 2019 compared to 32 touchdowns, six interceptions in 2018. But his upside is enough for the Bears to consider taking a chance on him if he’s still on the board come the second round.
2. Jacob Eason, Washington
Jacob Eason is another intriguing quarterback prospect that the Bears should be watching. While Eason is a project that definitely needs some work at the professional level, his elite arm talent and athleticism make him someone that would be difficult to pass up.
Like Love, Eason struggled in 2019. While his stats were glowing — he completed 64.2% of his passes for 3,132 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 13 games — the bigger picture points to some inconsistencies that he’ll need to clean up at the pro level.
3. Anthony Gordon, Washington State
While the Bears likely won’t use one of their two second round picks on a quarterback, one player that could fall to them in the later rounds is Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon. Gordon thrived in Mike Leach’s offense, where he passed for 5,579 yards and 48 touchdowns, which was second best in the nation.
The knock on Gordon has been his consistency, something the Bears know well with Mitchell Trubisky. Still, Gordon could be a Day 3 project the Bears develop as they see what Trubisky or a veteran addition can do in 2020.
4. Jake Fromm, Georgia
We all know how much general manager Ryan Pace loves his Georgia Bulldogs (he’s selected a player from Georgia each of the last four NFL Drafts), so connecting the dots between Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm and the Bears is an easy one.
Fromm’s strength is certainly his decision making, which is something the Bears have been missing with Mitchell Trubisky. But Fromm doesn’t have impressive arm strength nor is he a dual-threat with his legs. What Fromm does have is college experience. He has 43 starts with Georgia, which is certainly opposite of what Pace chose with Trubisky in 2017.
5. Steven Montez, Colorado
Given that the Bears will surely be doing their best to add to the quarterback position this offseason, bringing in a developmental prospect while giving Mitchell Trubisky one last chance to impress sounds like a possible outcome in 2020.
One project the Bears could turn to on Day 3 of the NFL Draft is Colorado quarterback Steven Montez, whose dual-threat ability makes him an enticing prospect, as does his cannon of an arm. But he lacks consistent pocket presence and struggles with accuracy.
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