The Chicago Bears need a quarterback. Fact. There is no debating this point. In truth they’ve needed a quarterback for seven-plus decades. To those saying they had one in Jim McMahon, he was good but he was also never reliable. A true franchise quarterback is somebody who carries the football team to victories. McMahon was often carried to victory by Walter Payton and a historic defense. Or to the hospital on a stretcher.
So the only quarterback this franchise has had who fits that description was Sid Luckman who retired in 1951. Since then it’s been one, continuous parade of sadness. This is the quagmire GM Ryan Pace has stepped into and now must try to fix. He’s patiently waited on making any significant moves at the position, trying to build up the rest of the roster.
He may be out of time now though. After watching Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley take turns coughing up winnable games it’s clear they need a different answer in 2017. There will be plenty of interesting options to consider. Yet the one that gives them the highest probability of success is somehow the most detested by almost every fan.
