Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers. (Mandatory credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
The Chicago Bears would be better served to solve these defensive problems than negotiate with Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Carson Wentz is expected to be traded soon. The Chicago Bears is one of the potential landing sites that former choice # 2 could land on. While the Bears can be a decent landing site for him, depending on the cost, there are at least eight options that General Manager Ryan Pace should consider before negotiating with Wentz.
8 best quarterback options for the Bears over Carson Wentz
8
Marcus Mariota
QB Las Vegas Raiders
He was a free agency target last season
It may not be the panacea for quarterbacks the Bears are looking for, but they could get a better deal for Marcus Mariota of the Las Vegas Raiders. Like Wentz and Mitchell Trubisky, Mariota was a former No. 2 overall choice in his NFL draft. Although it didn’t work for him with the Tennessee Titans in the end, there are reasons to believe that he may be a quality NFL holder here soon.
It can be difficult for Raiders to let him go because coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock are very fond of him. However, Mariota is holding a clipboard backing up Derek Carr. In short, Mariota is expendable at the right price. Assuming he stays healthy, Mariota may be able to explore what made him a winner of the Heisman Trophy in Oregon.
7
Jimmy Garoppolo
QB San Francisco 49ers
The Illinois native has Super Bowl experience
Although the Eagles fell out of favor with Wentz, it seems to be the same sort of thing with Jimmy Garoppolo at the San Francisco 49ers. While health and decision-making limited his overall success in the league, Garoppolo was San Francisco’s quarterback for Super Bowl 54 a season ago. He grew up in Rolling Meadows, IL, before starring in Eastern Illinois.
Switching to Garoppolo would be like putting Trubisky at its peak, something Bears fans may not be so interested in. However, Garoppolo played his best ball in adverse northern climates. If he succeeded in the Bears’ quarterback, he would be a great personality in the Windy City. It’s a boom or a bust like Wentz, but it probably won’t be that expensive.