When Robert Quinn held out of the Chicago Bears’ mandatory OTAs, it opened a floodgate of speculation. Quinn was receiving fines for the days he missed, so they were noteworthy, and the questions came about whether Quinn was expecting or looking for a trade. Beyond that, would he be attending training camp?
The first question was resolved quickly. The fines got progressively bigger, from mandatory OTAs to training camps, and he was not going to keep paying. Still, Quinn did not hold in either and participated fully in the training camp. Quinn acknowledged that he wants to play in Chicago and that the missed mandatory sessions were something he wanted to do.
Quinn chalked it up to take a small hit of fines for taking care of his body. He did not mean it as a stance of wanting to get traded.
While you can argue that Quinn still could have shown up to OTAs, did light work, and then used his veteran wisdom to help young players such as Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson, his absence also opened up huge opportunities for those names and even a UDFA like Carson Taylor to get real work against first string players.
Quinn stated that he showed up to training camp and participated fully because he did not want to bring anything negative to the team. So, perhaps he thought instead of taking it easy and bringing a negative vibe, he could just remove himself and take care of his body for a few weeks.
This is understandable, and after his press conference, it does remain tough to see Quinn getting traded. He does not have the name value of Khalil Mack, his contract is big, and his age is just high enough that Chicago may not be liking the offers they are hearing.
If that remains the case, you should expect to see Robert Quinn as a starter for the Chicago Bears in week one of the NFL season.