Getty Trade rumors are swirling around one of the Chicago bears' top players.
Are Robert Quinn’s days in Chicago numbered?
With the NFL’s trade deadline less than a week away, the Pro Bowl pass rusher’s name keeps coming up in various trade reports. Multiple insiders have linked Quinn to contending teams like the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, but nothing has gone down — at least, not yet.
The veteran defender is coming off an 18.5 sack campaign last year, and while his numbers are down to start the season, he could still be a valuable addition to teams looking for effective pass rushers. So far this season, Quinn has played 171 pass rush snaps and 129 run defense snaps and has amassed 14 total pressures, two quarterback hits, 11 hurries and 1.0 sacks (stats via Pro Football Focus).
It’s not a stretch to think he could still be traded, but the determining factor will be Bears general manager Ryan Poles and what he chooses to do with Quinn’s contract.
Robert Quinn’s Contract Will Be Key
NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported on October 25 that the 32-year-old pass rusher is “a trade candidate” for “several teams.”
Per Schultz, “The biggest hurdle right now is Quinn’s $18.2M cap hit for 2023 and where Ryan Poles stands on that.”
Continue to hear #Bears DE Robert Quinn as a trade candidate from several teams. The biggest hurdle right now is Quinn’s $18.2M cap hit for 2023 and where Ryan Poles stands on that. Terrific player who had 18.5 sacks last season and would certainly help a contender.
Quinn has a cap hit of $17.13 million this season to go with cap hits of $18.2 million in 2023 and $17.23 million in 2024, according to Over the Cap. If Poles and the Bears are willing to eat a solid amount of that money in exchange for draft capital, a trade is on the table.
@PFF_Brad I think the comparison here would be what value did Von Miller have last year at his full $ versus what value did he have once the Broncos picked up the entire tab. Not that the player is the same just what was the draft value of the $.
“I have to imagine Poles will do what is best for the team, so it certainly seems possible,” insider Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote about the Quinn trade rumors on October 25, adding:
“Maybe Poles will have to consider eating some of the remaining contract to facilitate a deal. Maybe the Bears will decide Quinn is an important figure in a young locker room. I take what Quinn says at face value because he’s a straight shooter, but I also wonder if he would be energized by a winning team knowing there’s a shot at playoff success.”
Robert Quinn Says He Doesn’t Want to Be Traded
For his part, Quinn has said on numerous occasions that he would prefer not to be traded.
“(A potential trade) is never on my mind,” Quinn told Biggs. “I’ve been here for 2 1/2 years and I am kind of tired of moving. Can we get it to work together and start winning some games? I’ve been traded twice and told from another team I wasn’t coming back. As much as I don’t want to … whatever happens, happens. I’m going to come in here every day and just work. What happens beyond that is out of my control.”
There’s a reason contenders have been mentioned in conjunction with Quinn recently — both teams need pass rushers. Jourdan Rodrigue, who covers the Rams for The Athletic, noted Quinn is a possibility for Sean McVay’s team, while Kansas City just lost its top pass rusher, Frank Clark, to a suspension, so don’t be surprised if one of those two teams makes a big push for Quinn soon.
Update: Quinn was traded to the Eagles hours after the publications of this post.