Chicago Bears: What happened to the Teddy Bridgewater rumors?

The Chicago Bears made a move in free agency yesterday, but it was not one many fans were happy about or wanted. Rumors were that Ryan Pace was in talks with Teddy Bridgewater, but those rumors died quickly. What happened?

Before I even discuss this, please note that I do not have any insider information regarding what took place yesterday between the Chicago Bears and Teddy Bridgewater’s agent. That said, it seems odd that one minute the Bears were in heavy talks with Teddy Bridgewater, and then the next it was said that Bridgewater to Chicago is unlikely.

What could have happened? Well, this is all speculation, but there are a few scenarios for us to play out here. First and foremost, it is possible the Bears were never truly in discussion for the free-agent quarterback. It is not uncommon for agents to use other teams to help boost their client’s status for either more money or better opportunities. Could Bridgewater’s agent be using the Bears here to entice other teams to swoop in? The answer is yes, this is definitely a possibility.

The other scenario is that the Chicago Bears and Ryan Pace were doing the same thing. The Bears have been in rumored talks with the Bengals for a couple of weeks now regarding Andy Dalton. Did Pace leak that the Bears were in talks with Bridgewater because conversations surrounding Dalton started to fade? Was this a tactic to entice the Bengals to come back to the table? Maybe it was the Las Vegas Raiders regarding Derek Carr instead?

Either way, it seems Bridgewater is no longer an option as other quarterbacks come to the forefront.

Who are these other quarterback options Mike Garafolo is speaking of? Does this truly mean the Bridgewater negotiations have come to a close? Rumors surrounding Andy Dalton and Derek Carr have been hot and heavy for some time. Case Keenum was said to be an option but he is now with the Browns. Maybe it was Marcus Mariota who caused the Bridgewater conversations to end? Well, he signed with the Raiders later in the day yesterday causing more confusion.

This whole situation is like playing a game of poker. My fear now is that Ryan Pace was waiting for the river card and is stuck with his bluff. Instead of hitting his straight or flush, he only has a pair of twos. There is plenty of time left for the Bears to find a quarterback in free agency or through a trade, but will it be Carr, Dalton or Bridgewater? Even worse, could it be they are stuck with Chase Daniel again?

What scenario do you think is at play here? Were the Bears bluffing or was Bridgewater’s agent behind the rumor? Was it that during negotiations, another opportunity or two came to fruition regarding the team and a different quarterback? This entire situation is very fluid, but the longer it takes, the more it will cost Pace or the more likely we see them add a guy no one wants to see here in a Bears uniform.