No NFL team has gotten worse returns at quarterback than the Chicago Bears. That Jay Cutler is the best QB in franchise history says everything you need to know about their decades of bad decisions at the most important position in the sport.
The Bears got it wrong again this offseason, as they have so many times before. Chicago rightfully went looking for an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky, who had been the worst starter in the league since he was drafted. There were several good options available, including the guy who they’ll be facing tomorrow.
Bears coach Matt Nagy confirmed this week that his team was interested in Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Bears coach Matt Nagy confirms his team's interest in Teddy Bridgewater in the recent offseason, says he scouted him extensively: "That was one that we looked at… I knew a good amount about him. We saw him with the Saints and what he did to us…"
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) October 16, 2020
In the end, the Bears stayed true to their brand and traded for an inferior QB, sending a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars for Nick Foles. While he’s certainly better than Trubisky, he’s not nearly as consistent as Bridgewater.
It gets worse, because Chicago had an even better choice than Teddy. Cam Newton was a free agent for several months before Bill Belichick and the Patriots signed him for peanuts. There was never any indication that the Bears even kicked the tires on the former league MVP.
Chicago and 30 other teams made the same mistake by letting Newton join New England. With Cam starting, they might have been a serious contender this season, even with a juggernaut Packers team in their own division.
Bridgewater may not have taken the Bears as far as Newton could have, but it’s impossible to argue in good faith that Foles is a more capable starter, to say nothing of Trubisky.
More bulletin board material for a team that seems to be thriving on defying the common perception that they would suck this season. Chicago’s loss is Carolina’s gain.
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