The Chicago Bears are going to need to re-think their plan when it comes to their backup quarterback. Last season they signed Trevor Siemian and Nathan Peterman. The good news was that the team liked them in the meeting rooms. The bad news was that they did not feel like either of them could run a similar offense to Justin Fields.
Once Fields went down, the offense had to change dramatically. That is not what you want to do. The smarter option would be to add a backup who can come in and learn the same offense that Justin Fields is running. Who are some of the best options for this plan?
6. Should Chicago Bears pursue Marcus Mariota?
This is one that we have already discussed, and it does make a lot of sense. The Atlanta Falcons currently have Marcus Mariota under contract, but the team is expected to let him go after benching him this season.
Mariota took the news hard, but it should be the wake-up call that he will not get a starting chance next season. He has to look for a backup job now. The perfect fit would be behind Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears.
Few quarterbacks had as many designed rush attempts as Marcus Mariota and Justin Fields. It was not an identical offense, but it surely was similar. With an offseason in the building, the team could run the same offense with Mariota as they did with Justin Fields. Beyond that, now that Mariota realizes he is a backup, he can provide more context into running this offense than someone like Trevor Siemian. It is such a better stylistic fit.
Mariota probably sees that Fields missed time with two separate injuries this year. While he may not be a starter again, he may know his best chance to start is backing up someone like Justin Fields. That could give us a win-win situation for Mariota, and it may make it even easier for the Chicago Bears to sign him.
5. Could Chicago Bears get Bryce Perkins away from the Rams?
With Marcus Mariota, you could bet money that he will be released. Bryce Perkins is a bit of a different story. He is currently an ERFA, meaning that the Rams have exclusive rights to his contract. They can offer him a low-end salary, and he has to take it.
However, the Rams are a pretty open group, and they may realize that Perkins is not worth keeping. They already have Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield signed. John Wolford is a free agent, but they could retain him as well.
If Bryce Perkins is their fourth quarterback, they may just let him walk. If that is the case, the Chicago Bears should be interested.
Perkins has been with the Rams since 2020. Due to quarterback injuries, he made his first career start last season. He appeared in three games and was active for five last year. This is not some game-changing performer, and that is why the Rams may let him walk.
He may also ask to move on because he is a number for the Rams but could be in the mix to back up Justin Fields. It was notable how the Rams changed their offense when Perkins was in the game.
One of the reasons they added Baker Mayfield was because Mayfield can run the same offense as Matthew Stafford, while Perkins is more comfortable in an offense that Justin Fields would run. The Rams can say he is not a fit, and a number four.
The Chicago Bears can say, this is a backup with experience, and also someone who can run the same offense as our starter. Beyond that, Perkins will be significantly cheaper than someone like Mariota. It is at least worth entertaining.
4. Chicago Bears should be all over Tyler Huntley
The Baltimore Ravens will be an interesting spot regarding their quarterback. Both Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley will be free agents this off-season. They will likely tag Lamar Jackson and they have Huntley as a restricted free agent, so at the least, they will have a chance to match any offer to him. Beyond that, they may add a tag to Huntley, so the Chicago Bears would have to trade a pick to add him.
If that is the case, it is probably not going to happen, but the Chicago Bears have to be interested as of now with his free-agent status. Huntley would obviously be a great fit considering the Bears were taking plays from the Ravens’ playbook to fit the style of Justin Fields.
Huntley has eight regular season starts and a playoff start. The experience would be useful for this team. The one issue is that the Ravens are 3-6 when Huntley starts, and 15-9 when Lamar Jackson starts over the past two years.
Huntley is great for a backup, but there is a reason he is a backup and the team is obsessed with keeping Lamar Jackson. If they tender him, and draft picks have to be involved, it is time to move on. However, the Chicago Bears should give Huntley a solid offer, and force the Ravens to make a decision, especially when they are already tied up with Lamar Jackson talks.
3. P.J. Walker could be the Chicago Bears’ backup
P.J. Walker is a restricted-free agent as well. However, between Walker, Huntley, and Perkins, Walker is the most likely to hit free agency. Walker signed with the Carolina Panthers because he played for Matt Rhule in college.
The Panthers gave him a shot but benched him last season. Now, they have a new coach, and he is a noted quarterback guru who will be bringing in his own guys. They will have no hard feelings about letting P.J. Walker walk this off-season.
For the Chicago Bears, it could be an ideal fit. Walker has seven career starts, and the Panthers are 4-3. That is all you need out of a backup, keep the ship afloat. He has five interceptions on 56 attempts as a rookie in 2020, but after that, his completion rate went up, and his interception rate has gone down.
Beyond that, we have seen him excel in the USFL, although that obviously is not a sign that he will be a good NFL player. Still, all of this points to competence. He has started in the NFL, and got better, he dominated a spring league, and of course, he is the stylistic fit. Walker had six rushes for 39 yards last year and could step in as a backup who can help Justin Fields in the meeting room, but if needed also step in for a game or two and not see the offense change.
2. Did Joshua Dobbs prove anything to the Chicago Bears?
The Chicago Bears should have been in on Joshua Dobbs earlier, and now they are just going to hope to sign him. Dobbs was sitting on the Detroit Lions practice squad when the Tennessee Titans called him up to sign with their team.
They just lost Ryan Tannehill, and he was supposed to be a backup to Malik Willis. Everyone said Willis needed at least one year on the bench, and that showed true this season. So, in desperate times, the team turned to Joshua Dobbs. They obviously lost a playoff game of sorts to the Jacksonville Jaguars and their season came to a screeching end with a collapse.
Still, for someone signed two weeks prior, the performance of Joshua Dobbs against a playoff team like the Jaguars was impressive. Again, we are not asking for a superstar, but if Justin Fields got injured for two weeks, how could you not want what Dobbs just brought to Tennessee?
Dobbs has always been noted as smart and understanding. Ben Roethlisberger always raved about his skills as a backup. Of course, he brings the mobility that can suit a Justin Fields offense, and he could help Fields in the meeting rooms. Teams are going to be interested in Dobbs after his brief stint, but he should see Fields and the Chicago Bears and think this is a good landing spot for him. If Fields does develop, his reputation as a backup grows, and Fields is more injury prone than your typical quarterback anyways. He could be in an offense built for him when he comes in, and he could have the whole season as a backup to prepare. He may end up better in Chicago than that brief stint in Tennessee if given a chance. The Chicago Bears should be all over this one.
1. Should the Chicago Bears draft Dorian Thompson-Robinson?
As noted, a lot of the fits here will take some hoping or maneuvering. Marcus Mariota will almost certainly be cut, and Joshua Dobbs can sign anywhere. The other three have to see what their team thinks of them first.
If the Chicago Bears do not strike on a backup, they should not rush to sign someone who is not a fit. One name that they should have eyes on is Dorian Thompson-Robinson from UCLA. He is a fifth-year senior and has progressed every year. He brings mobility as well, which is needed in this offense.
DTR would be a great fit stylistically, but also financially. They would lock him on a four-year deal at rookie salary prices. So that is guaranteed to be less than any of these other options are making. From there they have a younger piece who can be molded into more than what he is.
Of course, he could also be a complete bust, while you know what you have in the others. DTR has a tendency to be polarizing, and his decision-making can be questioned on the field. There is almost no doubt he is a Day three pick.
Still, he was the best quarterback at the Shrine Bowl by far, and the Chicago Bears do not want to spend a legitimate pick on him. They want to take a day three shot. With that in mind, the best case would be DTR backing up Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears having a cheap, young duo to move forward with.