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Former Chicago Bears backup quarterback Chase Daniel is entering his 14th year in the NFL.
Daniel, 35 spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons in Chicago, backing up ex-starter Mitch Trubisky. He wound up starting three games while with the Bears — more than he has started for any of the five other teams he has played for — before continuing his career elsewhere.
After a year with the Detroit Lions, Daniel spent the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Chargers, and he inked another one-year extension worth $2.25 million to continue backing up Justin Herbert in L.A. this coming season, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The veteran QB’s latest deal has pushed his career earnings over the $40 million mark.
Heading into the 2022 season, Daniel ranks 62nd all-time in earnings amongst all NFL QBs, per Spotrac. Considering Daniel has thrown for 1,694 career yards while going 2-3 in his five NFL starts, a few analysts, including former NFL player Ryan Clark and analyst Warren Sharp, have labeled him a “backup QB legend.”
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Daniel Has Embraced His Status as Backup QB
In a 2018 interview with Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, Daniel discussed his role as a perennial backup with great candor.
“It’s hard because the competitor in you is like, ‘I want to be out there playing,'” Daniel told Fishbain about being a backup. “But at the same time, the teammate and the type of person I am and have really been molded in to be is, what can I do to help the starter get better, and that’s helped me realize when your time comes, great, and if it doesn’t, it’ll be fine, too. It doesn’t define me. It’s what I’ve been working toward my entire career, but it’s not necessarily what defines me.”
Daniel is also well aware many have marveled at how much money he has made over the last 13 years, but he made an interesting point about his worth when talking to Fishbain:
“Upper management, owners, GMs, coaches, that’s what they feel I’m worth. That’s what your value is, what someone’s willing to pay you. If they’re paying me like the best backup in the league, I better act like it and I better not let them down. … I think some people can think of it as, ‘Oh, you got this crazy amount of money or this signing bonus for a backup and you’ve only thrown so many passes, you’re only worth what you play for in your field.’ Well, not necessarily. It’s hard to explain, but for me, going out on the field, I know I can play, but it’s not where I’m just going to sit back and relax because I got a really good backup deal.
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Daniel Could Also Cash in After His NFL Career Ends
Daniel entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Missouri, which makes the way he continues to cash in all the more impressive.
With his latest extension, Daniel is sitting at $41,828,471 in career earnings. The only former Bears QBs who have earned more than him over their careers are Jay Cutler ($122,196,087), Andy Dalton, ($99,627,794), Nick Foles ($86,045,346), Mark Sanchez ($74,223,773) and Josh McCown ($52,302,471).
As Bears analyst Laurence Holmes of 670 The Score also pointed out in March, as a longtime backup, Daniel will likely leave football with his body in good shape — and a career in either coaching or broadcasting is a very realistic possibility.
Over his career, Daniel has completed 68.2% of his passes for 1,694 yards, eight TDs and seven interceptions.
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