Chicago Bears Reportedly Placed Call to Giants About Eli Manning

The Chicago Bears quarterback situation is in an obvious state of flux. Mitch Trubisky is dealing with an injured shoulder. Chase Daniel is filling in as a backup but remains limited in what he can do. This feels like a team that is gaining a sense of urgency to get that position settled, if not fixed entirely. In such situations, this can lead a GM to think about trade possibilities. Typically solid quarterbacks are hard to find but it's always worth looking. It would seem Ryan Pace has his eyes set on at least one option.

Dan Sileo, a former NFL defensive tackle and current radio host stated on Twitter recently that sources had informed him that several teams had placed calls to the New York Giants about the availability of veteran quarterback Eli Manning. Among them were the Vikings, Steelers, Bills, Jaguars, and the Bears. It's a fascinating situation. New York recently turned to rookie 6th overall pick Daniel Jones to become their starter, relegating the two-time Super Bowl winner Manning to the bench.

One would assume this makes him available. There is a snag in such matters though. Manning has a clause in his contract that prevents the Giants from trading him. He would have to waive it in order for any deal to get done. This means he's allowed to sign off on any trade that is put forward.

Eli Manning would at least provide Chicago Bears with help

A lot of people will likely be against this idea. Manning isn't the player he was a few years ago. His effectiveness appeared to dip quite bit the past two years in New York. He's also 38-years old. So it's hard to gauge just how much better he can be in Chicago with no previous preparation time in Matt Nagy's offense. Nevermind his still lofty contract which would command a cap hit of over $23 million. Some work would have to be done there as well.

At the same time, Manning is a proven veteran with a wealth of experience. He has two rings and has shown he can be effective if given a defense and a running game. The Bears at least have one of those things. The other they're still working on. It's not a terrible idea, but it feels like one that is unlikely to happen.