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This was bound to happen sooner or later. Until the Chicago Bears find a franchise quarterback, they’ll continue to be linked to every potentially available quarterback, regardless of how practical the scenario. This week, it’s Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Fresh from a benching in Philly after the worst season of his five-year career, Wentz’s future with the team is now in serious doubt — and some are wondering if the Bears and Eagles might want to do a quarterback swap of sorts in 2021. Surely, there are Eagles fans who would love to see their Super Bowl-winning hero of 2017, Nick Foles, return. But would Carson Wentz be a good fit in Chicago?
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Carson Wentz Stats: Has He Benefitted From Monster Line for Years?
Wentz has had an off-year, to say the least. He has completed 57.4 percent of his passes for 2,620 yards, 16 touchdowns and a league-high 15 interceptions. It’s the worst season he has had since his rookie campaign when he threw 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His offensive line has been decimated by injuries this year, also begging the question as to whether it has been masking his mistakes for the previous few seasons.
Wentz has been both smart and accurate at times, making the Pro Bowl in 2017 after throwing for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 13 games. Through his first five seasons, Wentz has thrown for 16,811 yards, 113 touchdowns and 50 interceptions. Fifty-eight percent of his career interceptions came in his rookie season and this season combined.
The Eagles’ quarterback has also been plagued by injuries over his first five years — it’s arguably the most concerning aspect of his game. So why are some wondering whether he’d be a good fit in Chicago?
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Would a Wentz-Foles Swap Work?
The Bears need to start over in just about every way, including the quarterback position. Neither Trubisky nor Foles is the answer, but it’s highly unlikely Wentz is the guy for Chicago, either. Still, both the folks at USA Today and Sports Illustrated are wondering whether the Bears and Eagles need to swap signal-callers. First, Glenn Erby of USA Today listed the Bears as a top landing spot for Wentz next season:
“Chicago doesn’t currently have the cap space but could free up room by moving on from both Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy could be on the way out and the new regime could look to make a change at signal-caller without completely rebuilding a formidable defense that’s just lacking offensive support.”
Then, Sports Illustrated’s Gene Chamberlain also posed the question: “They still talk of Nick Foles as if he’s a saint in Philly. Would trading him for Carson Wentz and a few draft picks be possible?”
Sure, the Bears could trade Foles to Philly next year in exchange for Wentz — but why would they? With Wentz over Foles, the Bears would be getting youth … and that’s about it. Chicago needs to find reliable and consistent quarterback play, particularly if they would be shelling out the kind of ducats Wentz’s contract requires.
He also carries cap hit of $34.673 million in 2021, and it gets worse in 2022, per Over the Cap. Considering his recent production on top of everything else, trading Foles for Wentz and a few picks, as Chamberlain suggests, seems like the most cavalier and costly thing the Bears could do right now.
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Bears Urged to Make Major QB Swap With NFC Team in 2021