It’s hardly a secret the Chicago Bears need a quarterback. Mitch Trubisky hasn’t been able to overcome his longstanding reputation of being unable to play well against the better teams in the NFL. His tendency for ill-timed turnovers and missed opportunities are still there despite his recent success. The Nick Foles experiment was a failure. So they’ll likely go into 2021 looking for a new quarterback. What about Carson Wentz?
Nobody would’ve ever dreamed the former #2 pick would be available at this point. He had such a good year in 2019, throwing for 4,039 yards and 27 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. For whatever reason, the 2020 season has become a struggle with 16 touchdowns and a career-high 15 interceptions. After a 3-8-1 start to the year, the Philadelphia Eagles benched him in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts.
Now there are rumblings of a possible trade for Wentz in the future.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported last week the Eagles aren’t really interested in such an idea. They hope to keep the QB in their future plans. Schefter also reports though that the feeling is not mutual. It seems Wentz has not taken his recent demotion well. The idea of being a backup is unappealing to him and it appears he wants out.
“Carson Wentz is not interested in being a backup quarterback and would want to move on from the Eagles if the current situation — with Jalen Hurts starting under center — continues in Philadelphia, sources connected to the team tell ESPN.
Although the Eagles’ quarterback situation remains fluid with three games left this season, Wentz is not pleased with the way events have unfolded in the organization, according to sources.”
The buzz is there are plenty of teams who have inquired about the quarterbacks’ availability since the benching. Despite his recent struggles, Wentz has shown he can play at an MVP-caliber level before. Perhaps he just needs a fresh start away from the pressure cooker of Philadelphia. So why would anybody think Chicago has a chance?
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Bears have a few reasons to consider Carson Wentz
Now before we get into that, we’ll address the obvious issues. The biggest being money. Wentz carries a hefty contract. That includes a cap hit of over $34 million next year. The Bears would have to do a ton of work to clear up the needed space to even fit that onto their books. Let alone make enough room for other moves. If the league cap ends up falling to the projected $175 million floor? This becomes nearly impossible.
That said, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk indicated optimism that incoming TV money and the prospect of fans returning next year may compel the NFL to only lower the cap to $195 million. That would give the Bears a ton of extra breathing room. They could use that to their advantage in a deal for Wentz.
Then there is the compensation problem.
Odds are Philadelphia will want at least a 1st round pick for the quarterback and probably more. He turns 28 on November 30th and is squarely in his prime. Despite the recent struggles, his history of productive play will make him expensive. Especially if other teams get involved as expected. Considering the Bears have already given up huge packages for guys like Jay Cutler and Trubisky? Fans may not find the idea of taking in a guy coming off his worst season at such a price particularly appetizing.
Despite all that, the Bears can’t be ignored. For one, they have connections to Carson Wentz. Quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo was with him when he had his best season in 2017, throwing 33 touchdowns in just 13 games. If the team ends up keeping this coaching staff in place, then this move makes more sense. Remember the Bears aren’t likely to have a top 10 pick in the draft next year. So their best options could be on the trade market.
Is Wentz a long shot? Yes. That doesn’t mean Chicago isn’t a threat.
