The Chicago Bears are hopeless romantics when it comes to the quarterback position, and they may have their eyes set on a new target.
The Wentz-Bears chatter has been loud over the past few weeks, as the Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly looking to deal their disgruntled QB.
DraftKings has odds listed for Wentz’s 2021 team, and the Bears may be higher than most fans would prefer.
Here’s the full list.
DraftKings Carson Wentz Bears odds
| Colts +100 | 49ers +2000 |
| Bears +175 | Football Team +2000 |
| Eagles +400 | Texans +2200 |
| Broncos +1000 | Jets +2500 |
| Panthers +1600 | Saints +3000 |
| Patriots +1600 | Raiders +3000 |
As of now, it’s looking like a two-team market for Wentz.
The Colts are the favorite to land him, and the partnership would make sense. Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich tutored Wentz during his best years in Philadelphia, and the Colts have a solid offensive infrastructure.
Chicago’s interest, meanwhile, is puzzling. The Bears don’t exactly have a history of restoring spiraling quarterbacks, and Wentz was abysmal in 2020.
Last year, he threw 16 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions while averaging just six yards per attempt. That shook out to a 72.8 passer rating, all marks near the bottom of the league.
Mitchell Trubisky, meanwhile, threw for 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2020, posting a 93.5 passer rating.
The Bears reportedly believe they can fix Wentz, a claim that won’t inspire much hope in Bears fans.
While we’ve never seen Trubisky in another NFL situation, we’ve seen Nick Foles thrive elsewhere. Foles was mostly terrible as the Bears starter, forcing coaches to re-insert Trubisky.
Chicago has never finished better than 20th in yards per play under Matt Nagy, and that was back in 2018. They’ve finished 31st and 27th in that category in the last two seasons.
And it’s not as if the Bears have a ton of resources for offensive talent upgrades. Allen Robinson, the team’s best offensive player in 2020, is a free agent — and there’s no guarantee that Chicago can re-sign him.
The Bears have the 20th pick, but if they acquire Wentz, they may have to give that to Philadelphia. Running back David Montgomery is a bright spot, but the offensive line is average at best.
In other words, Chicago being the place that Wentz can revitalize his career feels far-fetched, especially considering that the Eagles ran the same offensive system last year that the Bears do under Nagy.
Other quarterback options not appealing
While it’s easy to shoot down the Wentz rumors, a follow-up question must be asked.
If not Wentz, who’s your pick to be the Bears quarterback?
Deshaun Watson is the obvious answer, but the Texans seem serious about keeping him. Houston is now favored (+200) to keep him at DraftKings, which was not the case a few weeks ago.
The Bears, if you were curious, are +1200 to land Watson. There are six teams ahead of them.
Derek Carr is also a popular name (there are no odds on Carr’s next team at legal IL sportsbooks). If the Raiders are open to trading him, Carr would seem to be a better option than Wentz.
After Carr, the names get less inspiring: Trubisky, Sam Darnold, Jimmy Garoppolo, etc. Unless the Bears make a huge move up in the Draft, there aren’t a ton of great solutions out there.
Bears in the mix for J.J. Watt?
The Texans recently cut J.J. Watt, and DraftKings also has odds listed for his next team.
Chicago is listed at +1200 to land Watt, and the Packers and Steelers have the shortest odds at +450.
Kealia Ohai Watt, Watt’s wife, plays soccer for the Chicago Red Stars.
The issue? The Bears don’t have much cap space, and they have far greater needs on the offensive side of the ball than the defensive side.
If Watt is willing to take a huge pay cut to come to Chicago, the Bears would certainly welcome him. But beyond that, it’s hard to imagine them ponying up big money for a veteran defensive end.
Watt played his college football at Wisconsin, and the Packers could use an impact defensive lineman. As the odds reflect, there’s a better chance he joins the Bears’ most hated rival.
