There has been a routine that seems to have been established over the last few weeks on social media regarding the Chicago Bears: “The Bears should trade for (insert underperforming or injured quarterback) and bench Mitchell Trubisky.”
The names change each week. One week, fans are clamoring for now-benched Miami Dolphins quarterback Josh Rosen, saying he simply needs another fresh start to maximize his abilities. The next, it’s injured Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who has struggled dating back to the final eight games of 2018 when healthy. Or maybe Nick Foles, who is due $22 million next season and is recovering from a broken collarbone suffered in Week 1.
No matter who it is or what the situation happens to be, the Bears will not trade for a quarterback prior to Tuesday’s deadline. Here are a few reasons why:
1. Draft capital is at a premium
It’s no secret general manager Ryan Pace loves to mortgage future draft picks for current assets. He’s traded up in every single draft since he became the GM of the Bears in 2015, most notably trading up one spot in 2017 to draft Trubisky with the second overall pick. He also landed superstar edge rusher Khalil Mack for a bevy of draft picks, including the team’s 2019 and 2020 first-round picks. Pace has shown conviction early on in his tenure as GM. The problem with that, however, is the lack of draft picks leaves the team with few options to use in a trade.
As of now, the Bears have six draft picks in the 2020 draft, including a pair of second-round selections. But after those, they don’t pick again until the fifth round. They also have a pair of sixth-round picks and a seventh-round selection. When you consider that most starting-caliber quarterbacks go for at least a first-round pick, the Bears don’t seem to have the ammo to trade for a passer that gives them a better chance to win than Trubisky.
2. Midseason quarterback trades are rare
In the last 10 years, three notable quarterbacks were traded during or just prior to the regular season:
- 2017 – Patriots trade Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers for a 2018 second-round pick.
- 2016 – Eagles trade quarterback Sam Bradford to the Vikings for a 2017 first-round pick and 2018 fourth-round pick.
- 2011 – Bengals trade quarterback Carson Palmer to the Raiders for a 2012 first-round pick and 2013 second-round pick.
Garoppolo was seen as “gifted” to the 49ers considering the low cost for the Patriots, and the 49ers committed to him as their franchise quarterback the following season by signing him to a then-record contract. Garoppolo’s path toward being a starter was blocked by Tom Brady, and the Patriots needed to move him or lose him to free agency.
Just prior to the start of the 2016 regular season, Bradford was shipped to Minnesota after quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a devastating knee injury in practice. Philadelphia, under a new regime and committed to rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, saw an opportunity to flip Bradford to the Vikings for significant compensation and cleared the way for Wentz to take over the starting role. Bradford spent two seasons with the Vikings, battling injuries and eventually losing his job to Case Keenum in 2017.
Finally, Palmer was holding out from Cincinnati, upset with the team’s performance in 2010. After the Bengals drafted his successor, Andy Dalton, Palmer got his wish and was jettisoned to Oakland. Palmer had two uneven seasons with the Raiders and ultimately was traded to the Cardinals following the 2012 season.
All three were moved for various circumstances, and two yielded a first-round pick. More importantly, that’s only three trades in nearly 10 years. Teams don’t typically move quarterbacks during the season, and despite the chatter, that’s unlikely to change this season.
3. Quarterbacks need more time to learn an offense
An NFL quarterback needs to know the offense inside and out. Some — Trubisky included — still don’t know all the ins and outs of their team’s scheme after multiple seasons in the system. Can another QB come in and learn the system on the fly? That’s doubtful.
If the Bears are looking for someone such as Newton or Marcus Mariota to get the rig back on track and lead the push to the playoffs, that QB would need to master Matt Nagy’s offense in a matter of days. For example, look at Palmer, who was shocked when he was told he was playing for the Raiders just days after being acquired from the Bengals.
“I was told I was not going to play. I didn’t know the offense,” Palmer said after his first game.
Quarterbacks dealt during a season must learn a new offense without the benefit of offseason activities and training camp. To force a player to come in with little knowledge of the team’s system is asking a lot.
4. Many quarterbacks will be available after the season
The Bears will likely address the quarterback position at some point this offseason, whether they’re looking for a new backup or starter depending on how the rest of the season plays out. They should have plenty of options in the free agent market beginning this winter. As of now, the following quarterbacks will be free agents:
- Tom Brady
- Drew Brees
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Case Keenum
- Marcus Mariota
- Dak Prescott
- Philip Rivers
- Ryan Tannehill
- Jameis Winston
Other players, such as Dalton and Newton, could be released in the offseason. While Brady and Prescott are unlikely to go anywhere, the Bears could bring a player such as Keenum, Mariota or Tannehill to come in and compete without giving up trade compensation should they choose to push Trubisky.
Like it or not, the Bears are committed to either Trubisky or Chase Daniel for the remainder of the season. Bringing in a veteran in a trade would not only deplete their draft assets, but also put the player behind the 8-ball while he attempts to learn the offense. A quarterback change may be coming, just not until 2020.
