Will Robert Quinn be a rotational player in Week One for Chicago Bears?

Robert Quinn has not seen the field much since signing with the Chicago Bears. Will he play, but be eased in?

It is not alarming, but the status of Robert Quinn is at least worth watching until he takes the field week one. It has already been a weird offseason, but considering the amount of money the Chicago Bears have signed Quinn for, they have to be anxious to see him healthy and on the field for week one.

So, when he has not suited up much in training camp, the team completely downplayed it. However, today, with the release of their first injury report, they could not hide anything. Quinn was on it with an ankle issue.

The Bears have said that they are being extra precautious, but how far does that extend? Into week one of a 17 week season?

The fact is that most players are going to need a week or two to gear up and get into full strength. Throwing Quinn out in week one for a full workload without a preseason, and having almost no training camp or practice would be a bit of a risk.

The Bears absolutely want to get Quinn on the field, but it may be on a pitch count, or in a limited role.

When we broke down the advanced stats of Robert Quinn, we did notice a glaring difference between him and Leonard Floyd. Quinn did not drop back in coverage, and he did not show enthusiasm against the run.

Quinn and Floyd are not on the same planet as pass rushers, but he is not the versatile chess piece that Floyd was.

An easy way for Quinn to shake off the rust, but also not push himself too hard without a warm-up would be to play him exclusively on pass-rushing downs. The Bears will deploy him to pin his ears back and finish the job, but on early downs, Trevis Gipson and Barkevious Mingo could see the field.

Mingo can drop into coverage the best of the three, and Gipson fell in the draft with limited upside, but he has power and can hold up well against the run. The Bears could see a three-man platoon where all three play their role.

Of course, as teams catch on, Quinn should be ready for a heavier workload. Still, do not be surprised if Quinn is the third and long specialist on Sunday against Detroit.