Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy are faced with a gigantic dilemma. They have a roster that is good enough to compete in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it's being held down by the ongoing play of their quarterback. Mitch Trubisky continues to disappoint through seven games. Every stat category is on a downward trend from last year. This despite being in his third NFL season and second in Nagy's offense. He should be getting better, not worse. Yet this is the reality and frustration is mounting for some inside the building.
Are the Bears really going to waste another good roster on a bad quarterback? There is a growing belief that won't be the case. Eyes are turning towards 2020 as being their opportunity to find a solution. Some remain steadfast that there's no way Pace will abandon Trubisky that fast, but Pace isn't a fool. Unless he's been totally blind to reality, his massive gamble on the young QB hasn't worked. The longer he clings to the hope it might, the closer he'll come to being fired.
His window to compete won't last forever and he needs a quarterback who is up to the challenge. So who might that be? Let's look through all the viable options on the table next year, who is unlikely and who is most likely.
Likely Mitch Trubisky replacements in 2020
Names to remove from the conversation:
Tom Brady - It seems like the media flirt with this every year. Brady wants out and to go somewhere else. Then it doesn't happen. Does anybody truly think this guy wants to start over in a new city at age 43 next year? No way. All these flirtations with free agency are probably just an attempt by his agent to get the best possible negotiation leverage over his new deal when the time comes.
Drew Brees - The same thing can be said with Brees as it is Brady. He's reached that age where any idea of starting over with a new team feels unrealistic. The man is still productive and runs that Saints system to perfection. Only if New Orleans believed Teddy Bridgewater was their future would they consider it, but that doesn't feel likely despite his success the past few weeks.
Dak Prescott - This falls into the category of "technically a free agent." Yes, Prescott will see his rookie deal expire in March but nobody believes for a second that the Dallas Cowboys will let him reach the open market. At worst they'll use their franchise tag to retain his rights. More likely though is a major contract extension will be agreed to before free agency begins.
Philip Rivers - Of the four names listed here, Rivers is probably the closest to actually being a free agent. It's not clear what the Los Angeles Chargers have planned. They're 3-5 and not looking good for the playoffs. Will they look to move on in 2020. It's possible but doesn't feel likely. The two sides will probably work out a limited extension of some kind to keep Rivers in powder blue for the rest of his career.
Why the NFL draft is unlikely:
Unlikely. Not impossible. Let's think of it like this. You're Pace and Nagy. You just endured a major disappointment of a season that had Super Bowl aspirations. Are you ready to put that team into the hands of a 2nd round rookie? Of course not. Now the Bears could package both of their 2nd rounders to jump back into the 1st round but then they'd be throwing away almost an entire draft just to get a quarterback who would likely need a year or two of experience before they're ready to chase a title.
No. Everything points towards them targeting a veteran of some kind next year. Somebody who at the very least can step in for one season and be an average passer who can manage a game. This will allow them to use the precious few higher draft choices they have to bolster other positions on the roster. Something that is becoming necessary with a lot of key players either coming out of contract or on the cusp of being cut for salary cap reasons.
The top 5 names who make sense for the Bears:
#5 - Eli Manning
This isn't the same Manning who heroically slew the Patriots in 2007 and 2011. He's gone. This version is an older, less dynamic passer. That being said, Manning is still a smart, experienced and relatively efficient quarterback. He threw 12 touchdowns to five interceptions in 2018 when he was sacked two times or fewer. If the Bears wanted a quarterback who could manage the offense and sees the field well, he is somebody who could hold down the fort for one year.
#4 - Marcus Mariota
In terms of pure scheme fit, this is the name that most people will go to. Mariota was a favorite target of Pace back in 2015. Word was he'd hoped to try and trade up for the Oregon start but the price tag was too high. The Bears also employ the quarterback's former college coach Mark Helfrich as their offensive coordinator. It feels like such a natural fit. Especially since he's still only 26-years old. So if they could turn him around, they'd have somebody to build around. He'd also be a bit cheaper than another option on this list.
That said, is he truly an upgrade over Trubisky? Most will argue that Mariota was benched for a reason. His inconsistency the past couple of years in Tennessee is well documented. It doesn't help that his backup Ryan Tannehill has five touchdowns and just one interception in his first two starts since taking over. Many believe he's just another version of Trubisky. Athletic, physically gifted but unable to read defenses quickly enough to take on the best in the league.
#3 - Nick Foles (trade)
Nagy loves quarterbacks he's familiar with, having brought in both Chase Daniel and Tyler Bray back in 2018. So it would make total sense if he could find somebody with legitimate starting-caliber talent who has already played in a similar version of his offense. The one name that stands out in this regard is Foles. The 30-year old had expected to be the starter moving forward in Jacksonville after signing a four-year deal in free agency. That suddenly took a turn when he injured his shoulder, allowing rookie Gardner Minshew to suddenly take the city by storm.
The way things are going, it looks like Minshew has seized control of the job, leaving Foles in a limbo. Jacksonville obviously doesn't want to pay over $20 million to a backup quarterback, which means they could look to trade him in the offseason. Chicago is an obvious destination he'd embrace due to the Nagy connection. However, the cost of his contract and the compensation required to get him are what drops his place on the list. Odds are at least one other team will be better positioned to make an offer.
#2 - Andy Dalton (trade)
In considering everything for the Bears, one word must always be taken into account: price. They don't have a lot of resources to work with in 2020. They have seven draft picks but only two in the first four rounds. They'll be over the salary cap to start the offseason and will likely have to do some serious reshuffling of the books to get the necessary space for signing a quarterback. Even an average veteran can be expensive as Mike Glennon proved back in 2017. This is where Dalton fits the profile perfectly.
He just turned 32-years old, so he's not way over the hill. He's still under contract for next season at a reasonable $17.7 million and it likely wouldn't cost a lot to get him. No more than mid round pick. With Cincinnati almost certain to draft his successor next year, he will be playing for another team in 2020. He's not a star but he has proven he can put together some strong games if given adequate protection and a few good weapons.
#1 - Teddy Bridgewater
The ideal scenario for the Bears would be to find a veteran they might be able to build around long-term and wouldn't have to surrender draft picks to get. Nobody fits this profile better than Bridgewater. He reminded everyone this year that he can still be an effective quarterback, going 5-0 in his five starts for the injured Brees while throwing nine touchdowns to just two interceptions and completing 69% of his passes. Keep in mind he did this when a number of his weapons were going down with injuries too.
He should've been a starter still in Minnesota if not for that catastrophic knee injury three years ago. He's 26 and still has plenty of years ahead of him. If handled right he could become the Bears' starter for more than just one season. The one obstacle? Price. Bridgewater will be expensive. Chicago isn't the only team that will want him next March. Expectations are it will cost somewhere between $20-30 million per year to secure him.
Is that a lot? Absolutely. This should paint a clear picture of how desperate teams are for a good quarterback. Outside of a lucky hit in the draft, you have to pay a hefty price to get one. The Bears don't currently have the cap space to make a deal work, but they have it within their power to create enough. If ever there was a move that is their ideal under tough circumstances, this is it.
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