Despite being just one game under the .500 mark, the Chicago Bears are in pretty rough shape heading into their Week 8 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
After somehow finding a way to beat the Las Vegas Raiders a few weeks back en route to a 3-2 record, the Bears have since dropped games against archrival Green Bay Packers and defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers while looking quite outmatched in both outings.
Now 3-4 with the reeling 49ers up next, it would appear on paper that the Bears may have a little life left in them. However, quite the opposite is true as rookie quarterback Justin Fields looked absolutely atrocious against the Buccaneers, Pro Bowl wide receiver Allen Robinson can't seem to get any touches, and coach Matt Nagy is not only on the hot seat but he has now also tested positive for COVID-19.
With Nagy likely on the way out soon, the team headed in a strange direction, Fields already solidified as the QB of the future, and Robinson once again slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, the Bears should punt on third down here and make a few moves ahead of the NFL trade deadline. If the Bears front office wants to play for the future, Robinson and journeyman quarterback Nick Foles should both be on the move.
Bears trade QB Nick Foles
With Fields now firmly under center and a veteran signal-caller in Andy Dalton also on the roster, it's time for Foles to depart the Windy City. Although the Bears will likely need to eat some money in order to ship Foles out of town, receiving a young player or, even more importantly, some future draft capital will go a long way for the franchise's future. Again, it is definitely not ideal to have to eat money to trade a player while selling Foles now won't even garner more than a late round draft pick or two, but something is better than nothing in this particular situation.
With New York Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson officially being ruled out for the next few weeks due to a knee injury suffered in Week 7, they almost immediately traded for a veteran signal-caller in Philadelphia Eagles QB Joe Flacco. With Flacco now slated for his second stint in East Rutherford, the Bears can officially check the Jets off their list of potential suitors for Foles.
Even so, three additional options for Foles and the Bears remain as the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, and Indianapolis Colts could all be in play moving forward. With the Dolphins or Panthers possibly a few days away from landing Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, it remains to be seen if the troubled signal-caller can even play this season. The team that actually lands Watson's services should be the one to trade for Foles to fill the seemingly inevitable void as either Tua Tagovailoa or Sam Darnold should be heading to the Texans.
As for the Colts, quarterback Carson Wentz has played well enough this season but he continues to be quite injury-prone. With the Colts not really having a true backup option on the roster at the moment, it wouldn't be the worst idea to at least call the Bears to see what it would cost to bring in Foles.
Bears trade WR Allen Robinson
Robinson is playing under the parameters of the franchise tag this season as this is almost surely his final go-round in Chi-Town. Because his production and numbers are down thus far into 2021-22, it will definitely be a bit more difficult to deal him away before the trade deadline. However, the same story holds true for Robinson as it does for Foles—getting something is better than nothing here.
Even in the midst of a down year for the Bears as his time has simply run its course, Robinson is still one of the better pass catchers in the NFL. As a result, just about every single team would instantly benefit from his services, even if it is as a midseason acquisition. However, the amount of teams that should actually pull the trigger is much smaller than 32.
The Las Vegas Raiders should no doubt be at the top of the list alongside another AFC West foe in the Kansas City Chiefs. But these two teams should be interested in Robinson's services for two very different reasons as the Raiders are surging and the Chiefs are struggling mightily. The Raiders need to keep pace with the rest of the stacked AFC and the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West specifically, while the Chiefs just need to find a way into the postseason. Although the Raiders have a good thing going at 5-2 on the year while sitting atop the AFC West in addition to serving as the no. 2 seed in the AFC postseason picture as of the moment, in order for them to become a true contender, one more weapon alongside the outside for red-hot quarterback Derek Carr might be needed.
Similar to the Chiefs, the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are currently on the outside looking in on the AFC playoff picture. With slim chances of reaching the postseason due to injuries and just all-around poor play, perhaps these once-heralded AFC squads should place some calls on the Bears to inquire about the availability of Robinson.
With the Raiders, Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and others vying for position, the Patriots and Steelers will need to re-enter the fold of relevancy much sooner than later if either wants any chance of turning their respective seasons around.
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