One of the NFL’s Greatest “What If’s?” Has an Unexpected Chicago Connection and Other Bears Bullets

Apr 13, 2020

Wish me luck as I try to squeeze in an exercise routine at some point during my day today. I’m not as active as I would otherwise be this time of year and it’s going to bug me sooner, rather than later.

I was caught up in NFL Network’s “Top-10 What If’s?” series last night because item that landed at No. 6 had major Bears implications, though few knew it at the time.

Here’s the quick and dirty: No. 6 has to do with a scenario in which Johnny Unitas doesn’t become a Baltimore Colt. Prior to leading the Colts to greatness, Unitas was a construction worker in Pittsburgh who lost out on the QB job with the Steelers. In 1969, the Steelers went 1-13, won a coin flip, and ultimately select Louisiana Tech QB Terry Bradshaw with the first overall pick.But as the show’s panel points out, if Unitas is still in Pittsburgh (1) they’re probably not bad enough to be 1-13 and (2) if they are, they’re probably not drafting Bradshaw because they have an up-and-coming Unitas.

Still following? This leaves the Bears (who were on the losing end of the coin flip) with Bradshaw joining a team with Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus. Maybe Sayers still has a second knee injury and ends his career early. But the Bears would have been far better off to deal with that loss with a future Hall of Fame quarterback. Maybe Walter Payton still comes along a few years after Sayers’ retirement and teams up with Bradshaw. But what if he doesn’t? Is Bradshaw good enough to make the Bears the team of the 1970s? What happens to the 80s Bears? So many trickle-down effects of one small thing.

For more Bears history, I would encourage you to read this piece written by Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune from November 1997.

Speaking of QB near-misses:

What if every team got a draft do-over? #NFLReDraft

▪️Bears: Mahomes in 2017
▪️Niners: Rodgers in 2005
▪️Patriots: Ed Reed in 2002
▪️Raiders: Megatron in 2007

Link for every team: https://t.co/QSgSd0KXJd pic.twitter.com/FsXocmhCoV

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 13, 2020

Don’t worry, Bears fan … I’m withholding further comment regarding the 2017 NFL Draft for the time being.

In a more modern line of thinking when it comes to the Bears’ quarterback situation, SI.com’s Connor Orr views Chicago’s situation in a more optimistic light than I would have expected. Orr ranks each NFL team’s quarterback situation, with the Bears coming in at No. 21. And in a 32-team league, that means the Bears aren’t in last. Say what? “I will be accused of putting the Bears unfathomably high on this list, which is fair,” Orr writes. “I seem to have more faith in Nick Foles coming back to a familiar system (with a. great play caller) than most, especially in a condensed offseason.”

Among the teams Chicago’s QB depth chart ranks ahead are the Panthers (who signed Teddy Bridgewater), Bills (who went to the playoffs with Josh Allen last year), Jets (who have a top-10 pick in their stable), and Jacksonville (Foles’ old team). Washington, Miami, Denver, New England (welcome to the thunderdome of QB hell, chumps), New York’s other football team, the LA Chargers, and Cincinnati are all behind the Bears right now. Although, Joe Burrow going to the Bengals in a few weeks will change some things.

Want more QB optimism? Good! I’m here to bring it. Anthony Treash (PFF) chimes in with the best (and worst) moves made by each of the NFL’s 32 teams to this point of the new league year. The Bears’ best move was trading for Nick Foles, who Treash writes “is the best option Chicago has had at the quarterback position in years.” Ouch, dude.

Words used to describe Foles in the piece are “he has proven to be an average, reliable quarterback” and that his league average passing grades in 2017 and 2018 are marks in his favor. Meanwhile, Treash is quick to note that Mitch Trubisky hasn’t checked in among the 25th percentile in PFF’s passing grades since arriving in the NFL. EEK!

I’ll be tuned in for this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-5nDcvj4YY/

The Bears’ YouTube channel is replaying one of the greatest Monday Night Football games ever played. It’s arguably the greatest comeback in modern franchise history. We’ll have Pre-Gamin’ for you later this afternoon.

Devin Hester was pure electricity, even when he was in college:

You did not want to kick to Devin Hester ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/Ex8MWxUzl3

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) April 12, 2020

Frankly, Hester could probably house one right now if you dared to kick it in his general direction.

I didn’t know the Colts were in the market for a new logo:

Honoring our past. Always evolving. pic.twitter.com/BBWqIG7p6p

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 13, 2020

In all honesty, the Colts should stick with their classic look. Nothing to change.

Also, why is Maryland shaped like Indiana now? Did I miss something in the news? /jokes

Always hurts reading about a life being taken at such a young age:

Former Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson died Sunday night in a car crash. He was 36.https://t.co/iIoZYOAauK

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 13, 2020

Watching this makes me wonder if Ryan Pace can throw a football over those mountains:

https://twitter.com/BN_Bulls/status/1249115434445615105?s=20

Anyone who doesn’t answer Mays is lying to themselves:

Mays v. Jeter …

Who had the more iconic defensive play? pic.twitter.com/aOo21vUQO6

— Baseball is Fun (@flippingbats) April 12, 2020

written by

Luis C. Medina

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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One of the NFL’s Greatest “What If’s?” Has an Unexpected Chicago Connection and Other Bears Bullets

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