Getty Head coach Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears needs more o-linemen, stat.
If the latest discussion on ESPN’s NFL Live is any indicator, the Chicago Bears may already have a massive offer extended to the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
In a segment discussing what the Bears should be doing to shore up the most important position in sports, analyst Jeff Darlington made a few eyebrow-raising comments about Chicago’s current quarterback situation — and his words strongly suggest that the Bears have the best offer out there for Watson.
Follow the Heavy on Bears Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest Bears-related breaking news, rumors, content and more!
Darlington to Texans: Take Advantage of Chicago’s Vulnerability
Correctly noting that few teams in the league are as needy at the position as the Bears are, Darlington said the following about the team and Deshaun Watson:
I was talking to a team executive who was telling me, basically, look: The best strategy for team building is to take advantage of other people’s vulnerabilities. There is no more vulnerable team in the NFL looking for a quarterback than the Chicago Bears. Houston better be careful here … If the Bears decide to go a different direction, Houston’s going to be saying at the end of the day: ‘Why did we not do that?’ Because it’s going to be tough to find a team that’s willing to give up as much as the Bears are right now.
Here’s the clip:
Just now on NFL Live hmmmm #Bears
That’s an interesting bit at the end — Darlington is strongly suggesting that the Bears are actively prepared to give up a great deal to bring Watson’s talents to the Windy City. And, as it happens, the guys in charge in Chicago may think nabbing a leader like Watson is the only way to save their jobs at this point.
Dan Orlovsky: Bears Need to Be All In On Watson
Darlington’s fellow panelist and former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky also weighed in, and he thinks that it’s now or never for Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy.
“I think at the end of the day, both Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace have to ask themselves two questions, and which one do they want to answer. Where am I going to be working in 2022? Or how do I build a roster without three first-round picks?” fellow analyst Dan Orlovsky wondered aloud.
“I just think that’s the reality if they don’t go get a real quarterback,” he added. “If they don’t go get a Deshaun Watson or a Russell Wilson, it’s gonna be very difficult for those guys to keep their jobs with just a bridge or a potential sub-standard quarterback. But go get one of those guys and you save your job.”
The @ChicagoBears NEED TO GO ALL IN like Matt Damon vs Malkovich…
There’s no question acquiring a quarterback of Watson’s caliber would be a literal game-changer for the Bears, who have never had a 4,000 passer in franchise history. Chicago has many holes, but it’s also possible that the recent rumored interest of Russell Wilson has made some sit up and consider the team as a more legitimate contender for Watson.
Regardless, Darlington’s comments hint at a huge offer from the Bears, who perennially vow to get better at the quarterback position yet routinely fail to do so. If Chicago by some miracle nabbed Watson — who many are saying could very well get traded eventually despite Houston’s current refusal to do so — the team would immediately be a contender, and, as Orlovsky suggested, it would likely keep Pace and Nagy around for a few more years.
Right now, the ball is clearly in the Texans’ court. Whether Houston finally budges and agrees to trade its franchise quarterback remains in doubt, but as Darlington noted, dealing with the Bears may be the most profitable thing for both teams, regardless of how unlikely it is. Stay tuned.