Nine games. That is what separates the Chicago Bears from the 2020 offseason. It's also the time remaining for Mitch Trubisky to rescue his career from spinning down the drain. His start to 2019 could not have gone worse. Everything from his passer rating, to his yards per game, to his scoring production, have all plummeted. If that weren't bad enough, he's still making a lot of the same mistakes he did the previous two years. A sign he hasn't progressed.
If he can't right the ship by the end of December, there is a growing belief the Bears will look to make a change. While some would prefer they try again in the draft, the reality is that avenue is unlikely. They have no 1st, 3rd, or 4th round picks next April and sacrificing one of their 2nd rounders on another QB could set the rest of the roster back significantly. Their better course of action would be to see if they can score a veteran in free agency.
Luckily for them, the market looks like it'll be more plentiful than usual. So who will those options be and which should be the biggest priorities for them to pursue?
Chicago Bears most likely veteran QB options in 2020
Pipe dreams:
Drew Brees - He may be approaching 40, but Brees is as productive as ever with the New Orleans Saints. There's no reason to think he has plans to retire. Not with that offense stacked with talent and Sean Payton still coaching. The odds favor the two sides working out some kind of one or two-year extension before he reaches the open market.
Tom Brady - There is a ton of speculation that Brady wants to get out of New England. Why? Ego is the best way to explain it. He wants to prove to the rest of the NFL that he's not just a product of the Patriots' system and that he truly is the greatest quarterback in history. Winning a Super Bowl elsewhere would do that. However, it feels like a rumor more than anything.
Dak Prescott - Technically Prescott will be a free agent next year but that's just a ceremonial thing. The odds of Dallas actually letting him walk are virtually zero. He is their franchise guy even if he's not quite in the elite category. They must and they will ensure he remains a Cowboy for the extended future.
Best options:
Teddy Bridgewater - The guy who probably made himself the most money going into 2020 was Bridgewater. His decision to stay in New Orleans proved to be infinitely wise. Standing in for the injured Brees, he went 5-0 as a starter with nine TD passes and just two interceptions. He'll enter free agency at 27-years old with plenty of good years ahead of him. If a team wanted a guy with experience they can still build around for the future, this is it.
Philip Rivers - On the other hand, if a team was looking for a quick, short-term fix? Their best hope would be Rivers. His future with the Los Angeles Chargers is shrouded in mystery. He turns 38-years old in December and the team is 3-5 with few hopes of making the playoffs. The team may decide it's time to start fresh with a high draft choice at QB. Rivers would then look for an opportunity elsewhere. Though on the older side, he's proven he can still be productive.
Consolations:
Marcus Mariota - This is the name a lot of people gravitate too. It's clear his time in Tennessee is done. His career there can best be described as up-and-down. He's had some brilliant games and some ugly ones. Most believe he's a draft bust. Others think he's a victim of poor system construction and limited weaponry around him. The Bears employ his former college coach Mark Helfrich and a system he'd be familiar with.
Jameis Winston - Winston's status in Tampa Bay is a bit more unclear. Head coach Bruce Arians seems to like him but the former #1 pick's issues with turnovers continue to haunt him. Most don't have faith he can ever truly overcome them but there's also no doubt that he has streaks where he can be highly productive as well. The guy is a gamble in every sense of the word.
Wild cards:
Alex Smith - The longtime veteran suffered one of the nastiest broken legs in league history. Many felt he'd never come back from it. To date Smith has undergone 17 surgeries to repair the injury and get back to full strength. He still seems determined to return to playing in the NFL. If that's the case, it likely won't be in Washington. If and when he does get the green light, the Bears are an obvious destination given his connections to Nagy.
Andy Dalton - Getting benched on your 32nd birthday is a crap move by the Cincinnati Bengals, but such was the reality for Dalton. His future there appears bleak with the team winless and almost certain to pursue a top draft choice in 2020. That is unless rookie Ryan Finley displays something in the coming weeks. Dalton will almost certainly be available and while not a franchise cornerstone is at least a serviceable starter.
Nick Foles - Another quarterback with ties to Nagy, having worked with him in Kansas City back in 2015. Foles suddenly finds himself likely on the bench again down in Jacksonville. After suffering a shoulder injury that landed him on IR, rookie Gardner Minshew has stepped in and taken the city by storm. It looks like that job is his now, which makes Foles' big contract look like more and more of a burden. If Minshew finishes strong, it's easy to see the 30-year old being available.
