Chicago Bears: Robert Quinn needs to start living up to his contract

Robert Quinn signed a big deal with the Chicago Bears but has failed to produce.

When the Chicago Bears signed Robert Quinn to a lucrative deal in the offseason, there was plenty of reasons for optimism. Quinn had a reputation for getting to the quarterback and was thought to be an upgrade from Leonard Floyd, who underperformed after being drafted ninth overall in 2017.

Before coming to Chicago, Quinn’s stats were extremely impressive, totaling 80.5 sacks and 25 forced fumbles with the Rams, Dolphins and Cowboys. In 2013, while with the Rams, he registered 19 sacks.

However, since he signed a five-year, $70 million contract with $30 million guaranteed, the former North Carolina Tar Heel only has one sack through five games and one forced fumble. A far cry from what he was expected to produce when the Bears invested in him.

Though the Bears are 5-1 and have one of the league’s best defenses, Quinn has mostly ridden in the backseat instead of being the man who would help anchor the controls with Khalil Mack. Not exactly what general manager Ryan Pace had in mind.

Robert Quinn must step up his game or else the Bears defense will succumb.

In fairness, sacks aren’t the only thing that make a defensive player impactful. In fact, the pressure on a quarterback can force them to make mistakes. In the case of Quinn, however, except for Daniel Jones, he hasn’t struck legitimate pressure on signal-callers this season. The Tom Brady struggle against the Bears was in large part thanks to Mack, not Quinn.

Granted, Quinn is playing as a stand-up edge rusher rather than a down-lineman, which seems to be his more natural fit. But the goal is still the same for any pass rusher: Get to the quarterback and produce turnovers. The Bears are still 5-1 heading into a Monday Night Football battle with the Rams. That match alone could determine the season moving forward.

Chicago is already in a precarious state having paid Quinn a lot of money with hopes that he would produce, and now it’s up to him. Pace is already on the hot seat given the quarterback situation.

Quinn still has time to elevate his game, but the clock is ticking. And given how the Bears and their fans have a standard for their defense, no production means no respect. No one is saying Quinn needs to become Mack 2.0, but he does have to produce, and so far it hasn’t been there.