Gardner Minshew would be better for Bears than Andy Dalton
Why didn’t the Bears make an attempt to trade for Gardner Minshew instead of signing Andy Dalton?
After the Chicago Bears swung for the fences in trying to trade for Russell Wilson only to strike out, Ryan Pace made a desperate move by signing backup quarterback Andy Dalton to compete with Nick Foles in 2021.
Maybe the Bears look to make a splash in the draft and attempt to trade up for one of the big-name signal-callers, but if they don’t, Bears fans are in for an underwhelming quarterback room once again.
Not landing Wilson is a big disappointment for the Bears, but they didn’t have to settle on Dalton and Foles for 2021. An intriguing name for them this year could have been Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew, who is on the trade block.
One QB to monitor: The #Jaguars have received a few calls from teams inquiring about QB Gardner Minshew, source said. The Jax QB room is in flux, and we’ll see where this one goes.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2021
The Jaguars are likely comfortable trading Minshew because they have the No. 1 pick in the draft and therefore have the rights to Trevor Lawrence’s NFL career, at least the first few years of it. Minshew wasn’t a slouch at quarterback though, especially for a former sixth-round pick.
He took over for an injured Foles in 2019 and as a rookie, threw for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six touchdowns. His follow-up season wasn’t as strong, but he was injured and played in just nine games while throwing for 16 touchdowns and just five picks.
Gardner Minshew would have given the Bears a fun option at quarterback.
While Minshew wouldn’t be the long-term solution for Chicago, he’d be a better option than Foles or Dalton. He’s only 24 years old and has shown that he can play the position well. He’s also quite the character and Jacksonville really loved him during his rookie season, even having a Minshew mustache day at the stadium.
Chicago could really take to Minshew and his eccentric personality. The guy’s a character and he’d be someone they could lean on until they found a quarterback in the draft.
Bears fans clearly didn’t want Andy Dalton and they’re ready to move on from Nick Foles. Minshew probably wouldn’t have excited the fan base much either, plus they’d have had to give up a draft pick for him, but at least he’s only in his third year in the league and could maybe develop more under Matt Nagy in what could potentially be his last year in Chicago.
Minshew was exciting as a rookie in 2019 and, were it not for injuries in 2020, maybe the Jaguars don’t have the top pick and continue to stick with him moving forward. Jacksonville is obviously thrilled to be landing Lawrence, but Minshew was captivating and made the Jaguars fun. Just imagine what kind of effect he could have on the Bears franchise.
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The Bears continue to struggle to find a quarterback and while he wouldn’t have been the long-term answer, Gardner Minshew would have been a better acquisition than Andy Dalton. There could have been something there for both sides.