At this point the array of opinions on who the Chicago Bears should target at quarterback are plentiful. Everybody has their favorite. Some think Andy Dalton is the obvious choice. Others like Hub Arkush think the upside of Marcus Mariota is worth the risk. Then there are those who say a bold trade for somebody like Derek Carr or Nick Foles can get the necessary jolt they need. Every option seems to have its upsides and downsides.
So what about the simple numbers?
Analytics has a place in the NFL today like never before. Experts love to use them in helping to determine the outcome of everything. Free agency is no different. Football Outsiders, one of the most respected analytic sites in the game offered their take on the Bears’ situation. Based on their own model, the quarterback they should be pursuing is one people haven’t really talked about.
Philip Rivers.
“The bold move, however, would be to bring in a future Hall of Famer to run the offense. Rivers is coming off a down year, for sure, but he was working behind an injured offensive line in front of roughly zero fans at home for all of 2019. He has bounced back from down years before, and his 6.8% DVOA in 2019 would have been the best mark for a Bears quarterback since Jay Cutler in 2015. Signing Rivers, riding out the one or two good seasons he has left, and then finding the next quarterback of the future in the next couple of drafts would be the boldest move Ryan Pace could make.”
Chicago Bears would technically get what they want in Rivers
Recent rumors are fairly straightforward. The Bears are looking for a quarterback with extensive pedigree and starting experience. Rivers, having been in the league since 2004 and a future Hall of Famer fits that profile as well as anybody. While having a reputation for being a major trash talker, he’s also a leader, tough as nails, and highly intelligent.
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People proclaimed him a lost cause after last season, which is odd. Though he did throw 20 interceptions, he still finished sixth in the league in passing. This despite a ground game that ranked 28th in the NFL. He was pretty much doing it by himself behind a swiss cheese offensive line riddled by injuries. There is no denying he’s a risk at 38-years old, but if the Bears are looking for a bridge out of the Mitch Trubisky era, he’s as good as any.
Whether GM Ryan Pace is willing to put up the money it will take to get him? That’s another story.
