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Will the Chicago Bears trade Pro Bowl pass rusher Robert Quinn?
It has been one of the key questions surrounding the team this offseason, and it’ll continue to linger until the trade deadline passes — or until the Bears actually trade him.
The buzz around Quinn has been constant since the draft, when NFL insider Ian Rapoport tweeted teams were sniffing around the 2021 Pro Bowl pass rusher, but the Bears have expressed a desire to keep the 32-year-old around amidst all the noise.
“Right now, he’s a part of the plan,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said about Quinn during an interview on 670 The Score’s Mully & Haugh Show on May 6. “I’m excited about Robert. In terms of moves and all that, this league is crazy. You know, I can’t rule anything out and give absolutes, but I want him on this team.”
While Poles has stated on multiple occasions he’d like to keep Quinn, who finished second in the NFL in sacks last year with 18.5, it’s still possible the team will be open to shipping him off, as he’s one of their most valuable trade chips left.
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Trading Quinn Would Give Bears More Cap Relief, Draft Capital
CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported on May 20 that Quinn wants out of Chicago, but Quinn himself said in April that he doesn’t “expect to go anywhere or want to go anywhere,” via Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune. But like Poles, Quinn wasn’t definite, also admitting football “is a crazy business.”
Quinn is slated to make just under $13 million this season, per Spotrac, and while his contract is through 2024, the Bears have already paid him all of his guaranteed money, so he’ll be easier to move.
“The likelihood of Quinn being dealt cannot be discounted because of the great cap relief it provides,” Gene Chamberlain of Sports Illustrated wrote on May 29. “It’s money the Bears could use either toward another offensive lineman, wide receiver or keeping Roquan Smith and David Montgomery from becoming free agents. It would be almost $13 million of cap space relief if it happens June 2 or later.”
June 2 has come and gone — and Chamberlain listed the only three teams with enough cap space to take on Quinn’s contract.
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3 Teams With Enough Cap for Quinn: Browns, Dolphins & Panthers
If Quinn wants to go to a contender, there currently aren’t any with enough money to pay him what he’s due next season — not unless someone gets creative, that is.
“The only three teams who even have enough space currently to absorb Quinn’s hit of $17.1 million for 2022 are the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers, according to Spotrac.com,” Chamberlain noted. “It would require creative financing by some team to acquire Quinn in a trade now, like what happened when the Bears traded for Nick Foles.”
While that’s certainly possible, the likeliest outcome is for Quinn to stay in Chicago, because without him, the team doesn’t have much of a pass rush after trading All-Pro Khalil Mack away in March. In addition to finishing second in the NFL in sacks, Quinn had 47 pressures, four QB hits and 25 hurries in 402 pass rush snaps, per Pro Football Focus, so he still has immense value at 32 years of age.
It’s also possible, though, that a contending team loses a pass rusher to injury once the regular season rolls around, and if that happens, Quinn’s will be one of the top names to watch.
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