Bears Showing Interest in Veteran Free Agent LB: Report

The Chicago Bears brought former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Shaquille Quarterman in for a workout on July 18. ESPN insider Adam Schefter was first to report the news.

Quarterman, 26, was a fourth-round pick for the Jaguars in 2020. He has appeared in 63 games for Jacksonville in that span, serving primarily on special teams. Currently still a free agent, the veteran linebacker would likely be a special teams-only addition for Chicago.

The Bears currently have one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL, led by starters Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards and Jack Sanborn. Chicago also has solid depth at the position, with second-year standout Noah Sewell, Micah Baskerville and Amen Ogbongbemiga all competing for roster spots.

Quarterman and Ogbongbemiga, who has appeared in 47 games with two starts over his career, are similar in size, experience and stature. Thus, both will likely be competing against each other to fill a similar special teams/backup LB role.

New Kickoff Rules Have Bears Looking for Special Teams Standouts

Due to the NFL’s new kickoff rules, many teams are scrambling to find both effective returners and capable blockers. One new aspect of the rule dictates that when defending kickoffs, special teams players will now line up at the 40- and 35-yard lines. They are not allowed to move until a returner catches and fields the ball.

Therefore, players with decent speed and strong tackling skills are more valuable than ever on special teams. Bears special teams coach Richard Hightower hinted in May the team may also be looking for potential blockers for the return game. Quarterman could meet that criteria, as well.

“I don’t know to what extent because the league is all about matchups, especially when you’re dealing with like special teams,” Hightower said, via Zack Pearson of Bear Report. “So like we’re going to have to match up with whatever personnel group we’re going against. And we’ve been fortunate to have bigger players that can run and also even smaller players who are more powerful like a Roschon [Johnson] or like a [Travis] Homer. Those guys can block linebackers and they’re fast enough to block DBs.”

What Would Bears Be Getting if They Sign LB Shaquille Quarterman?

The long and the short of it is that Quarterman is a solid special teams player. The 6-foot, 240-pound veteran LB played at least 51% of Jacksonville’s special teams snaps in each of the last four seasons. Over his career, he has tallied 54 total tackles (one for loss) and a forced fumble. He also has experience playing the MIKE linebacker position in the pros.

A former standout at the University of Miami (FL), Quarterman amassed 23.5 tackles-for-loss, 6.0 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 8 pass breakups and 2 interceptions over his four collegiate seasons with the Hurricanes. He also earned the nickname “Thumper” for the way he hit opponents with speed and ferocity. His hard-hitting ways would surely be welcomed in Chicago.

He has played 171 defensive snaps over his career, so he could also serve as a backup inside linebacker for Chicago, particularly if the Bears elect to carry six LBs on their 53-man roster this year. In 2023, they kept five. It’ll be interesting to see what they choose to do this season.