The Chicago Bears fandom sees only two directions the quarterback position will go in 2024. They will either keep Justin Fields for another year or take somebody with the #1 overall pick they're likely to secure from Carolina. It's easy to see those as the only two possibilities. Like it or not, there is a third. This would come about if head coach Matt Eberflus were to stay put for another year. The Bears would have a decision to make. Do they trust him with the development of a young quarterback? That seems ill-advised, given his background. He will also go into next year with a lot of pressure to win after two losing seasons.
For those reasons, Chicago may choose to enter the veteran quarterback market. The idea would be to secure somebody with a proven track record who might be able to play well immediately, taking advantage of an evolving roster. This would hopefully get everybody on firmer ground, and they can revisit a long-term QB option in 2025. It would at least avoid the situation Fields found himself in with Matt Nagy two years ago. The question is whether the Bears can find a veteran option good enough. Here are the names that seem like possibilities next spring.
Free agents:
- Kirk Cousins
- Ryan Tannehill
- Baker Mayfield
- Gardner Minshew
- Joe Flacco
Possible trades:
- Russell Wilson
- Kyler Murray
- Sam Howell
- Derek Carr
The Chicago Bears have what look like three reasonable options.
The two most appealing are Cousins and Mayfield. Cousins was playing some of his best football before an injury ended his season. He'd thrown 18 touchdowns with only five interceptions in eight games. Much of that was spent without Justin Jefferson. Big-game criticisms aside, he is a solid player. Mayfield is having one of the biggest career resurgences in recent memory. He was considered a lost cause coming into this year. Now he's thrown for over 3500 yards, 26 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and has Tampa Bay on the cusp of another division title. He is also still only 28 years old.
Finally, there is Kyler Murray. While his last two years haven't been great, he showed in 2020 and 2021 that he can be a highly effective quarterback. If Arizona intends to move on, the Chicago Bears can likely land him for a reasonable price. He's only 26, and they have a supporting cast in place that can make life easier for him. Rest assured, there is no obvious fix for the Bears if they take this route. No Matthew Stafford or Tom Brady. All of those choices carry risks and will be both expensive and temporary.
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