What do Chicago Bears fans do when their team stinks and begins 0-3 on the year?
We either start to look ahead (what we do best) or find some time to look back, because the present is far too much to withstand at the moment.
With that in mind, there are some former Bears players who are still out there looking for a job. Could it be the end of the road for these guys, or would a team give them one more shot?
1. Robert Quinn, DE
Robert Quinn may be the biggest mirage in the history of this franchise. He was signed to a massive contract back in 2020, in which he responded by failing to show up that entire first year in Chicago. He then followed it up with one of the best seasons of his career in 2021, when he broke the Bears' single-season sack record, posting 18.5 in total.
After a record-breaking 2021 campaign, Quinn went on to be traded in 2022, to the Philadelphia Eagles where he recorded zero sacks after having just one all season with the Bears to that point of being traded.
Now, people are wondering whether or not this is the end of the road for the longtime veteran. At 33 years old, it just might be. Maybe, come toward the end of the season, a team calls him about hopping aboard as an extra rotational pass rusher en route to a Super Bowl run. But, he doesn't appear to be someone you can count on week-in and week-out any longer.
2. Akiem Hicks, DE
This guy was a fan favorite for a while. Since the day he signed with the Bears back in 2016, Akiem Hicks was one of the loudest, most fierce and loving personalities this team had in the locker room. There was no more fun of a player to cover or be around at times than Hicks. The veteran defensive end brought the intensity and personality every single day.
In six seasons with the Bears, Hicks totaled 30.5 sacks, a Pro Bowl appearance and was known to be one of the very best run-stopping defensive linemen in all of football. What made him special was his ability to stop the run at a high level, while also being extremely disruptive to opposing quarterbacks. He was a rare blend of having both talents at the defensive end position.
Ultimately, Hicks' health became an issue. Hicks missed 19 games over his final three seasons with the Bears, when his body simply couldn't keep up with his physical mentality and play style. It was tough to watch, too, because fans saw the intensity out of this guy right down to his last game with the team. He desired, so badly, to be on that field and getting after the football. But, his body wouldn't allow it.
Hicks spent his most recent year with Tampa Bay in 2022 and didn't play last season. It could be the end for him, too.
3. Robbie Gould, K
One of the most beloved players in Chicago Bears history will always be kicker Robbie Gould. You couldn't have asked for a nicer, more genuine and kind human being to be part of that locker room for as many years as he spent in Chicago. Still, to this day, Gould spends a ton of time in Chicago and loves the city and people. And Chicago loves him.
For 11 seasons, Gould was the Bears' kicker. He owns the franchise's all-time record for most field goals made with 276. He also knocked through a total of 23 kicks from beyond 50 yards, good for most in franchise history as well.
His career mark of 85.4 percent is the second-best field goal percentage in franchise history, only behind current Bears kicker Cairo Santos. However, Santos has played far less games and still has plenty of room to close that gap (although, we hope he doesn't, of course).
Gould went from Chicago to a brief stint with the Giants, followed by six excellent years with the 49ers. San Francisco finally moved on after the 2022 season, and it appears as though Gould's career could finally be coming to an end at 40 years old.
4. Nick Foles, QB
Once upon a time, Ryan Pace thought Nick Foles was the answer to Bears fans' prayers. In an offseason where the team clearly needed to put some pressure on the back of Mitchell Trubisky, it was Foles whom the Bears opted to pursue.
Pace and the Bears traded a fourth-round pick to acquire Foles, who would go on to start eight games in two years, going 3-5 and throwing 11 touchdowns to eight interceptions. He was certainly not the answer the Bears were looking for, and fans are still angry about losing that fourth-round pick, to this day.
Following his stint with the Bears, Foles played the 2022 season with the Indianapolis Colts before remaining unsigned through this point of the 2023 campaign. Of course, he is well-known for his run with the Eagles that saw him earn a Super Bowl MVP a few years back.
But, aside from that magical run with Philadelphia, Foles has been average at best. Still, he could provide value as a backup. Yet, he remains a free agent.