Whether the Chicago Bears will trade pass rusher Robert Quinn has been one of the biggest questions surrounding the team since their 2021 season ended.
When new general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus took over in January of 2022 and traded superstar linebacker Khalil Mack away a few months later, all bets seemed off when it came to what Poles may do to revamp the team’s roster.
In a May 6 appearance on 670 The Score’s Mully & Haugh Show, Poles was asked about the possibility of trading Quinn, and while he stressed the team wanted to keep the veteran defender around, he ultimately offered no guarantees. One analyst thinks it won’t take too long once the regular season rolls around for the Bears to ship the edge rusher to a contender.
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Poles: Quinn ‘Embodies Everything That Coach Eberflus Wants’
Quinn had a season to remember in 2021, finishing with 49 tackles (38 solo, 17 for loss), 22 QB hits, a team-high 18.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He was second in the NFL in sacks and he also tied for fifth in forced fumbles.
“The one thing you get with Robert is when you watch that tape, he embodies everything that coach Eberflus wants in terms of rushing the passer, the effort, the motor, tenacity,” Poles said on the Mully & Haugh Show. “So right now, he’s a part of the plan. I’m excited about Robert. In terms of moves and all that, this league is crazy. I can’t rule anything out and give absolutes, but I want him on the team. We’ll see how everything happens as we move forward, but I’m excited.”
It certainly sounds as though Poles values Quinn and would like to keep him around — but it’s also clear the new Bears GM was hesitant to give absolutes about the situation.
“It’s nearly impossible to predict this far out, but some situations are a little easier to see coming than others,” Poles added.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport noted in late April that while multiple teams were “sniffing around” Quinn during the 2022 draft, the Bears weren’t “currently shopping” the veteran — but one analyst thinks Poles and company might be biding their time until the 2022 regular season gets underway.
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If Bears Start Slow Next Season, a Trade Is Likely, Analyst Says
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report thinks Poles and company may not shop Quinn until the 2022 regular season gets underway. If the Bears don’t perform well or lose several games early on, Ballentine thinks those teams who were interested in Quinn before may come sniffing around again.
“If Quinn and the Bears get off to a slow start, they might start answering those calls. Any number of contenders would be fortunate to add Quinn to bolster their pass rush,” Ballentine wrote on May 6. “A deal could be especially appealing for the Bears if they could manage to bring back a receiver to help second-year quarterback Justin Fields.”
Quinn, who turns 32 on May 18, has the largest cap hit on Chicago’s roster this coming season at $17,137,500, according to Spotrac. It would make a ton of sense for Poles to wait and see if the market sweetens at all. If it does, he could get more for Quinn, but if it doesn’t, he still has the team’s best pass rusher onboard. It’ll be interesting to see how the first-year GM plays it.
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Bears GM on Trading Top Defender: ‘Can’t Rule Anything Out’