The
Chicago Bears 2021 offseason begins and ends with answering the obvious question. What will they do at quarterback? It is the subject that is going to dominate conversations for the next 2-3 months. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy are back for another year. Yet it may only be a temporary reprieve unless they finally secure a legitimate QB for this franchise.
Yet as is always the case each offseason, any team's plans at quarterback will be determined by what the rest of the NFL will do. Looking at the NFL landscape, only nine teams can be tagged as having zero likelihood of at least exploring the quarterback market. That means 23 others are various levels of threats to the Bears. As is always the case though, several teams that initially look like dangers will back out.
It won't be any different this time around. In fact, there is a lot of buzz already moving in that direction. This is what sources have informed me will happen barring an unexpected change.
Chicago Bears quarterback path is coming into focus
New York Jets are sticking with Sam Darnold
People are reading into new head coach Robert Saleh not committing to Darnold immediately as the starter as some sort of sign a
change is coming. That is reading too much into it. Adam Schefter himself said Darnold will likely be back next year. He's only 23-years old and has plenty of talent. The organization wants to give him a fresh start with a new coaching staff and hopefully more talent around him.
Atlanta Falcons riding it out with Matt Ryan
With the #4 pick in their pocket, the Falcons are in a dilemma. Ryan is still playing top-tier football but he's also 36-years old this coming season. With such a high pick, should this be the time for them to start the transition process to a younger guy? Don't expect that to be the case. Everything about the Falcons' offseason moves thus far suggests they aim to extract every bit of what's left from Ryan's time in the NFL. They still feel a Super Bowl is possible if the roster can be quickly retooled.
Philadelphia Eagles will ride with Carson Wentz
This was pretty much a given from the moment Doug Pederson was fired as head coach. His rift with Wentz was the primary cause of all the drama in Philadelphia. Now the coach is gone and that's a clear commitment to the quarterback. If that weren't enough, the hiring of Nick Sirianni as his replacement, a disciple of Wentz's former offensive coordinator Frank Reich is further proof that the Eagles are going all-in on their embattled QB.
Detroit Lions will make one more go of it with Matthew Stafford
Another team with a top 10 pick. Detroit has some wondering if the time may be right to trade Stafford and kickstart a true rebuild. Based on the comments of new GM Brad Holmes and informants close to the team, that isn't happening. Stafford is 32-years old. His window to win is still there, if not as wide as it once was. There is a strong belief in the Lions organization they can still make a true run if they just get that roster around him where it needs to be. Besides, it's not like they would've traded him to the Chicago Bears anyway.
San Francisco willing to give Jimmy Garoppolo one more run
One of the bigger mysteries is what the 49ers will do. They sit at #12 overall and many consider them contenders for both moving up in the draft to take a QB and pursuing Deshaun Watson. Interestingly sources insist the team is willing to make one more go of it with Garoppolo. Since the start of 2019, he's 16-6 as a starter with 34 touchdowns, 18 interceptions, and a 99.9 passer rating. He can play good football. It is a matter of him staying healthy.
Las Vegas Raiders not moving on from Derek Carr
This idea remains persistent but there is nothing out of Vegas to indicate it's true. Why would it be? Carr is 30-years old and on an affordable contract. He's also coming off the best season of his career with over 4,000 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions. Quarterback play wasn't their problem this season. It was the defense. That is the area of the team they need to fix.
All signs point to Deshaun Watson or the draft
As for the Chicago Bears themselves? The information listed above combined with a recent report paints a pretty clear picture. Right now the team's focus is on Watson. They are
planning a highly aggressive push to land the three-time Pro Bowler. He is the instant fix they're looking for. However, the odds of landing him aren't high. So in the likely event that doesn't happen, the focus will shift to the draft.
Personnel people around the NFL believe Pace will be aggressive if that ends up being the case. The idea being the Bears will want to grab the best possible QB they can in hopes it buys the current regime more time to get things figured out. There will be obstacles to clear in either scenario, but not nearly as many as people think.
