Backup Plans: QB Chase Daniel to Sign with Bears, Re-Unite with Matt Nagy
Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace is crossing things off his free agency shopping list at a pretty dizzying rate, eh?
The latest: The Chicago Bears are expected to sign quarterback Chase Daniel to serve as the team’s backup to Mitch Trubisky, according to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports/NFL Network. Alright.
Daniel spent the 2017 season with the New Orleans Saints in a reserve role behind Drew Brees, where he appeared in one game, played on just five snaps, and did not attempt a single pass. In fact, Daniel has thrown a grand total of three passes since the start of the 2015 season.
With that said, Pace, as well as new head coach Matt Nagy, are both quite familiar with Daniel. The Saints signed Daniel in 2010 when Pace was the team’s Director of Professional Scouting. And then, Daniel left New Orleans for Kansas City in 2013, which started a three-year run as a backup quarterback where he crossed paths with Nagy, who served as his position coach. And for good measure, Daniels followed Doug Pederson to Philadelphia in 2016 where he sat behind Carson Wentz.
Perhaps what Daniel doesn’t have under his belt as far as game experience (57 games, two starts, 78 attempted passes) can be made up with knowledge of the offense, its terminology, and an ability to translate that to Trubisky. With that in mind, it’s understandable why the Bears had an interest in bringing Daniel into the fold to back up Trubisky.
As for the contract details, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has the scoop:
The #Bears are expected to sign QB Chase Daniel to a 2-year deal worth $10 million, source said. He gets $7 million guaranteed and… it’s voidable after 1 year. That’s huge, in case something happens and he becomes this year’s Nick Foles. He’d be a free agent in 2019.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2018
It sure would’ve been nice to have the option of parlaying Daniel into a trade chip on the chance he does some Folesian things behind Trubisky in a pinch, but it is what it is. The Bears have their backup … one who hopefully doesn’t see the field enough to develop into a trade chip anyway.
