The Chicago Bears have thrown their support behind Justin Fields as their starting quarterback for the 2023 season, but that doesn’t appear to be stopping them from checking out some of the potential backup options that could present themselves during the NFL draft next month.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Bears are one of several teams who have a private visit and workout scheduled with former Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell in the month ahead leading up to the start of the draft on April 27. He spent the past two seasons as the Boilermakers’ starter, helping them win the Music City Bowl in 2021, and was one of the biggest standouts at the Shrine Bowl earlier this year.
The Bears do not have a direct need for another quarterback on their 2023 roster with Fields only entering the third year of his first-round rookie contract and P.J. Walker signing with the team in free agency to serve as his backup. Bears general manager Ryan Poles has made it clear since the end of the 2022 season, though, that he intends to scout the quarterbacks of the upcoming draft class, and a prospect who could be on the board in the later rounds — such as O’Connell — could appeal to him.
O’Connell received a sixth-round grade from The Draft Network and is the 13th-ranked quarterback on ESPN’s list of 2023 prospects, checking in below some of the other late-round options such as TCU’s Max Duggan and Georgia’s Stetson Bennet. While there is always a chance that O’Connell is a player the Bears are scouting as a potential UDFA signing, it is also possible they are eyeing him for one of their two seventh-round picks.
Aidan O’Connell Would Be Project QB for Chicago
O’Connell has come a long way since accepting a preferred walk-on spot with Purdue in 2017 as wide receiver. The Long Grove, Illinois, native took advantage of his early years in the background and transformed his skill set into that of a starting quarterback, then claimed the role for the Boilermakers in 2021 and delivered a breakout campaign.
O’Connell completed 71.7% (314 of 438) of his passes for 3,709 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his first season as a starter, leaning heavily on his connection with top wide receiver — and current Cleveland Brown — David Bell. He also tied with Mississippi State’s Will Rogers as Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded passer (90.0) in the FBS among quarterbacks who took at least 50% of their team’s dropbacks in 2021.
While O’Connell did experience a bit of a dropoff in his second season as a full-time starter — more interceptions (13), fewer touchdowns (23) — there were still a few games where his leadership and experience rose to the surface and allowed him to take over, such as his four-touchdown performance against Indiana in the regular-season finale. He would be a project passer, to be sure, but one who might be worth investing in.
Here’s what Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote about O’Connell in his draft profile:
O’Connell’s 2021 tape is better than what we saw from him in 2022, but there were still flashes last season. He’s a pocket passer who can throw with solid accuracy over the first two levels but struggles with trajectory and rhythm on deep targets. O’Connell has below-average mobility inside and outside the pocket. He needs to keep his progressions on schedule and his throws on time to make up for average arm strength. He had to carry a heavy percentage of the offense on his back at Purdue and could benefit from an offense that allows him to manage games. O’Connell has backup potential and his upside is slightly above average.
Bears’ Luke Getsy Might Want to Mold a Rookie QB
GettyAidan O’Connell was a two-year starter for the Boilermakers before declaring for the 2023 NFL draft.
The Bears are concentrated on doing everything they can to maximize Fields’ success as their quarterback for the 2023 season. They traded for star wide receiver D.J. Moore, signed talented guard Nate Davis and pass-catcher Robert Tonyan Jr., and now find themselves in a position to potentially have their pick of the top offensive tackles in the 2023 NFL draft class with the No. 9 overall selection. Their roster talent has improved, and the Bears are counting on Fields to improve with it heading into Year 3.
At the same time, Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy might want to lean on his background as a quarterbacks coach and see if he can develop a project passer like O’Connell into a serviceable backup — or perhaps even more — for the franchise. The benefit of having a backup quarterback on a rookie contract might seem small with the Bears having as much cap space as they do, but that could change if Fields solidifies himself as the guy in 2023 and the Bears have to start considering the cost of extending him for the long-term future. If Getsy can make a competent backup out of a quarterback on a rookie contract, it will only better serve Chicago’s future interests.
The problem with O’Connell specifically is how he would fit into the Bears’ current offensive system given his underwhelming mobility. Fields and Walker are both dual-threat quarterbacks who have proven they can function in a West Coast-style offense that leans heavily on play-action, but O’Connell doesn’t quite fit the same mold. Even if Getsy sees traits he can utilize, Chicago might be better served with a different rookie.
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Bears Book ‘Private Workout’ With Rookie QB Prospect: Report