Chicago Bears: 6 Free agent targets to pursue in 2020 offseason

Marcus Mariota, Quarterback

Okay, so let’s talk about the most important move most people want to know about — what happens at the quarterback position. Yes, Pace and Nagy announced that the plan was to enter the 2020 season as the starter.

The Chicago Bears have Trubisky for another season on the cheap. They still feel he could lead the team to high aspirations. Many, including me, don’t feel he’ll live up to Pace’s expectations.

Whether Pace is right or wrong we won’t know until what happens on the field. Whichever way it goes, it is imperative that the Bears have a Plan B. They need to have a quality backup who can push Trubisky to get better. This quarterback may or may not win the starting job, but he should be able to give it a good run.

If the Bears thought having a big competition for the kicker’s spot would bring out the competitors’ best then competition for the most important position on the field should do the same.

There should be no more Chase Daniel backups anymore.

One good option is Marcus Mariota. Yes, I know he struggled so much that he lost his job to Ryan Tannehill. The thing is, Tannehill was in the position Mariota is in now. No one could foresee the job Tannehill did. Sometimes there is just something that clicks when you lose a starting job and then get kicked to the curb. Some players just regress and accept the life of a backup while for others it lights a fire under them.

Mariota saw how Tannehill’s fire affected him. Maybe he catches his own fire. He has the ability to do a good job. Additionally, he does a better job of reading defenses and makes some big plays, but just hasn’t made enough of them.

The Bears don’t need to have the greatest quarterback who lived for them to be Super Bowl contenders. If the offensive line does its job, then the quarterback only needs to be a game manager. The defense is still an elite unit that only gave up about 18 points per game, which ranked fourth in the league. If the Bears offense can just score 19 then the good times return.

As important as this position is, the quarterback situation is a fluid one. Mariota is the best and most reasonable financial choice available now, but there could be other quarterbacks who become available. The Cincinnati Bengals likely pick a quarterback with their top pick in the draft so they won’t have use for Andy Dalton. Then there is Alex Smith. If he’s available and healthy he’d be an interesting option. He had his best season under Nagy.

Mariota went from the penthouse (Heisman Trophy winner) to the outhouse. He has the tools to get back up. After seeing what happened to him he can come to Chicago, push Trubisky to improve and be ready to jump in if an opportunity arises.