The Bears are in dire need of a quarterback upgrade, so their reported interest in Russell Wilson comes as no surprise.
We probably shouldn’t count on the superstar quarterback ending up in Chicago any time soon, however.
A report over the weekend indicated the Bears are prioritizing a Wilson trade this offseason. Chicago — unlike teams reaching out to the Houston Texans about Deshaun Watson — might have a chance to at least make a pitch to Seattle, as the Seahawks reportedly are taking calls from teams inquiring about Wilson. Furthermore, the Bears are on Wilson’s shortlist of preferred destinations in the event he’s shopped by Seattle.
But as Peter King pointed out in his latest Football Morning in America column for NBC Sports, the Bears are not equipped to swing a blockbuster for the eight-time Pro Bowl selection.
“For a second, let’s be real. Short of a miracle, the Bears are screwed,” King wrote. “The reports last week that the Bears will go hard after Russell Wilson left me asking: ‘With what trade chips, exactly?’ Why would Seattle incur a $39-million cap hit for 2021 by trading Wilson to the Bears for a package including (presumably) edge rusher Khalil Mack, quarterback Nick Foles, the 20th overall pick this year, and Chicago’s first-round pick next year, among other things? Seattle currently has one pick in the top 125 choices in this year’s draft (56th overall). How do the Seahawks find a QB-of-the-future hope with, say 20 and 56 this year, and no first-round pick next year? Seems like a futile pipe dream, that the Bears would have much Seattle GM John Schneider would find equitable.”
The Bears seemingly find themselves in a situation similar to the one the Patriots were last spring. With little salary cap space to work with, New England was forced to wait until the dust settled in free agency before addressing its need under center. The quarterback market is poised to be fairly robust this offseason, but Chicago might have no choice other than to settle for a low-tier option.
But desperate times call for desperate measures, so perhaps the Bears’ front office will get creative to fill the team’s glaring void.
