Bears star pass rusher Robert Quinn was noticeably absent from the start of Chicago’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. Any time an NFL player skips any practice, it’s worth noting. Sometimes it means nothing, and they simply had a day off.
But when that player is a 32-year-old veteran on a squad with a new head coach, Matt Eberflus, and general manager , Ryan Poles, then you can start to wonder. And if that player, according to Over The Cap, also has a $17.1 million cap hit in 2022, the TRADE SIRENS should start blaring.
When asked about Quinn’s current situation after skipping a mandatory practice, Eberflus didn’t offer confirmation the Bears were shopping the 2021 Second-Team All-Pro. (Pro Football Focus’s Brad Spielberger believes Chicago could net a third/fourth-round pick for Quinn.)
But, crucially, Eberflus didn’t exactly downplay the possibility either:
Robert Quinn is not here for Bears mandatory minicamp. Matt Eberflus says "we're not talking about that as an organization." @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/owoXNXhQa3
— Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) June 14, 2022
Huh, strange. I guess mum’s the word for, let me check my notes … one of the best players in the sport?
Even with Justin Fields’ tremendous athleticism, the Bears are in a pseudo-rebuild of sorts. Anyone who isn’t part of the long-term future probably isn’t safe at Halas Hall. After already offloading 31-year-old Khalil Mack for a high draft pick, it would make sense if they did the same with Quinn before the 2022 NFL season starts.
Here are a few bona fide contenders that should consider trading for Quinn if he is, in fact, available.