At this point the
Chicago Bears are looking for any edge they can get in order to find a quarterback. Not just any quarterback either. One who can finally put a stop to decades of misery and mediocrity at the most important position in pro football. A position that has routinely held this franchise back from its rightful place among the NFL elite.
It's not something GM Ryan Pace is taking lightly. Odds are that's because it's a decision that has destroyed many others who have held his job in years past. Whatever player he picks, or doesn't pick for that matter, could determine both the outcome of this franchise for the next decade and his place as an executive in the entire league.
Will he be a Ted Thompson (Aaron Rodgers) and John Schneider (Russell Wilson) or the next Gene Smith (Blaine Gabbert) and Ray Farmer (Johnny Manziel)? No doubt he's going to do his homework on this upcoming draft class. Not going to leave anything to chance. When it comes time to make a decision, he'll want to know
everything.
When all the big areas have been covered, sometimes it helps to delve into the details. So how about this for an interesting question. Based on their long history, does geography hold any sway in how successful a Bears quarterback is? Of course it sounds silly. It's not the where that matters but the who. Even so, people might be surprised by the answer.
There were many ways to go about this, so in an effort to keep things simple it was settled on where the winningest quarterbacks in Bears history were born. After some close examination a fascinating little nugget began to emerge. Of the 10 quarterbacks with the most wins in franchise history, eight of them were born east of the Mississippi River. Or in the eastern half of the United States.
Winningest QBs in Bears history
- Jay Cutler – East (Indiana)
- Sid Luckman – East (New York)
- Jim McMahon – East (New Jersey)
- Ed Brown – West (California)
- Jim Harbaugh – East (Ohio)
- Bill Wade – East (Tennessee)
- Bob Avellini – East (New York)
- Mike Tomczak – East (Illinois)
- Kyle Orton – West (Iowa)
- Rex Grossman – East (Indiana)
Among those included in the eastern group are all three quarterbacks who have won championships for the team since the start of the 1940s. Any who played prior to that decade were kept off the list given there was no way to track their actual win-loss records. However it's worth noting Carl Brumbaugh, the QB for their two championship teams in the 1930s was from Ohio. That makes him an eastern guy as well.
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It's a fairly wacky stat but also one that is difficult to argue. Want to see it taken a little further? Of the three quarterbacks who saw significant action in 2016 for the Bears, the one with the highest rating by far was Brian Hoyer with a 98.0 mark. Is it any coincidence that he's also the eastern-most native of the trio along with Jay Cutler and Matt Barkley? Cutler is from Indiana and Barkley from California. Hoyer hails from Ohio.
Another little factoid to add onto all that? The Bears have selected nine quarterbacks in the first round of a draft across their long history. Two went to other teams without playing a down so they don't really count. Thus of the remaining seven, only one failed to start at least one full season in his Bears career. That was Cade McNown. He's also the only one of those seven who came from west of the Mississippi (California).
Knowing all that, how does this tie into the 2017 NFL draft class?
At present there are four quarterbacks in this upcoming class who are considered at least a possibility of making it into the first round. In other words they're the likeliest future starters in the NFL based on talent and college production. Applying what has been learned over the course of this article, here is a breakdown of those four names based on their places of origin. Bears fans may feel encouraged to know it has a decidedly eastern flavor.
1st Round Draft Prospects:
- Mitch Trubisky - East (Ohio)
- Deshaun Watson - East (Georgia)
- Deshone Kizer - East (Ohio)
- Patrick Mahomes - West (Texas)
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This doesn't even include Pitt standout Nathan Peterman, whom the Bears coached at the Senior Bowl. He's considered to be the "Dak Prescott" of the class. A likely mid round pick who will become a productive starter. He too makes the cut, hailing from Florida. The same goes for their primary trade target Jimmy Garoppolo, born in Illinois.
Of course there are many things that make a successful quarterback in the NFL. Most of it having to do with talent and good coaching. That being said, it's apparent Chicago has been a far friendlier place to quarterbacks coming from the east side of the U.S. It's at least a little comforting to know that most of this draft class is made up of those types.
Every little bit helps.
