The Chicago Bears’ quarterbacks room is going to look far different in 2020 than it did at the end of the 2019 season.
Reports have surfaced that the Bears are in the hunt for a veteran quarterback presence to push Mitch Trubisky as he enters Year 4 of his rookie deal. And while the Bears and Bengals have reportedly already kicked the tires regarding a possible trade for Andy Dalton, Chicago could explore free agency if the cost of doing business with Cincinnati is too high. As a rule of thumb, options are good. So with that in mind, the Bears should be leaving no stone un-turned in this process.
In addition to Dalton as a trade option, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler lists Case Keenum and Marcus Mariota as free agents who could fit what the Bears are looking for this offseason. As far as we know so far, the Bears are looking for an established veteran who has “extensive” experience as a starter. And if that’s what Chicago’s front office is looking for in their search, then Mariota and Keenum both fit the bill.
Mariota, 26, has 61 games worth of starting experience and has a unique prospect pedigree as a Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He also has something on his résumé that Trubisky doesn’t have — a road playoff win. In January 2018, Mariota did his part in engineering an epic comeback to lead the Titans past the Chiefs in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs. Matt Nagy (currently the Bears’ head coach) had a good look at what transpired while standing on the opposite sideline as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. Perhaps he saw something he liked back then, which could inspire him to pursue the University of Oregon product.
As for Keenum, he is an older veteran entering the journeyman phase of his career. The next team Keenum signs with will be his fifth different one in as many years. What makes Keenum, 32, an interesting option is that he has plenty of experience is a starter (62 games) and as a backup. Heck, Keenum has ample experience as a backup who finds his way into a starter’s job. Back in 2017, Keenum replaced an injured Sam Bradford and led Minnesota to an 11-3 record, NFC North championship, and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. Keenum’s brand of take-what-the-defense-gives-you football might be just what the Bears need to push Trubisky to make better decisions and nudge him toward playing better. If not, Keenum knows exactly what to do to take (and keep) a starting job that isn’t his.
On the surface, it is a bit of a challenge envisioning either Mariota or Keenum pushing Trubisky out of the incumbent’s chair as a starter. But at minimum, both quarterbacks represent competitive options in players who — as former starters — could potentially take over as a starter if things go south with Trubisky. Neither name is on the sexy end of the quarterbacking spectrum, but either could be the upgrade at QB2 the Bears seek this offseason.