Bears could be potential trade destination for QB Carson Wentz

The Bears have been mentioned as a potential trade destination for Carson Wentz, which is due in large part to desperation at the position.

The Chicago Bears are a franchise desperate for a quarterback, and it’s shown with their name being mentioned in conjunction with a number of quarterbacks on or potentially on the trade market, whether that’s Deshaun Watson, Matthew Stafford or Derek Carr.

Now, a new quarterback has been thrown into the ring as there are reports that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz wants out of Philly.

According to an ESPN report, the Philadelphia Eagles have already received aggressive offers for Wentz’s services. Although the Eagles would certainly want significant compensation in return for the former No. 2 overall pick. Still, it sounds like it’s not a matter of if but when Wentz is traded.

The Bears have been mentioned as one of five potential trade destinations for Wentz, which is due in large part to Chicago’s desperation at the position. Here’s what ESPN’s Tim McManus had to say:

Chicago has been in search of a franchise quarterback since the dawn of man, and that quest continues this offseason after the combination of Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles resulted in an 8-8 campaign. Bears quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo had success with Wentz while serving in the same role for Philadelphia from 2016 to ’17. He coached Wentz hard and helped keep him within the structure of the offense. Other coaches haven’t had as much luck since. It could prove a fruitful and much-needed reunion. Trubisky is a pending free agent, while Foles is under contract and scheduled to make $4 million this season. Foles and Wentz, teammates again? That might be too close to the past for Wentz’s liking.

Ideally, landing Watson would be the best move for the Bears, but that doesn’t seem likely. Not only do the Houston Texans remain firm in their stance to not trade their franchise quarterback, Chicago would be competing with most of the league for Watson’s services.

Which leaves the Bears with not a lot of options at the position. With Chicago slated to pick 20th in the NFL draft, there aren’t going to be any top-tier quarterbacks remaining, which means they’re going to have to find their guy via trade or free agency lest they be stuck with Nick Foles or Mitchell Trubisky.

There are several concerns with Wentz, including his regression, injuries and his massive contract. Wentz is slated to make $25.4 million next season — the third highest among quarterbacks — and he was one of the league’s worst quarterbacks last season.

There are two natural landing spots for Wentz that make a lot of sense: the Indianapolis Colts and, dare I say it, the Bears. Wentz was on track for an MVP season with then-offensive coordinator Frank Reich at the helm in 2017. That was also the same season when John DeFilippo was his quarterbacks coach. Could we see a reunion in Chicago?

If Wentz is on the trading block, there’s no doubt that the Bears should and probably are involved in the discussion. With general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy on the hot seat in 2021, they’ve essentially promised an answer at quarterback to save their jobs.

While Wentz might not be the best option out there, he is better than what the Bears currently have.

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