Should the Bears sign a veteran backup QB?

The NFL draft is just over one week away, and with the first overall pick in this year’s draft, it’s safe to assume the Chicago Bears will select Caleb Williams.

Williams, a promising talent, has been the unanimous selection in every mock draft published to date, and there has been no indication that the Bears are interested in any other player with that selection. Once the draft has concluded, the Bears’ QB depth chart will look like this:

Caleb Williams: 0 career starts

Tyson Bagent: 4 career starts, 3 TDs and 6 INTs

Brett Rypien: 4 career starts, 4 TDs and 9 INTs

To say the Bears’ quarterback room lacks experience would be like saying the White Sox are off to a slow start. While Caleb Williams is expected to grab the Bears’ starting job for years to come, I think it would be wise for Chicago to invest in a proven backup to help Williams’ development and guide Bagent, should he be the QB2 of the future.

Let’s take a look at some possibilities to fill that spot.

Ryan Tannehill

The 35-year-old veteran is probably the biggest free-agent quarterback available at this point. With most of the backup jobs already filled up, Chicago is still a destination that could use a quarterback with some experience. Shane Waldron runs a wide zone concept similar to that of Arthur Smith, who used it in Tennessee to revitalize Tannehill’s career. Tannehill has 151 career starts in his 12-year career (81-70 record), throwing for 34,881 yards and 216 touchdowns with a 91.2 rating. Tannehill famously brushed off being a mentor when the Titans drafted Malik Willis, which means he could wait until preseason to see if an injury opens up a chance for him to start. However, he would be an ideal fit for the Bears if he embraced the QB mentor role.

Blaine Gabbert

With Carson Wentz now the backup in Kansas City, Blaine Gabbert will look for employment elsewhere for the upcoming season. Unlike Tannehill, Gabbert has been a backup for most of his career and will not shy away from that role with the Bears. The 34-year-old has started 49 games in his career but only one over the last four seasons. He would provide leadership in the QB room without being any threat to the incumbent Williams.

Drew Lock

This one is a bit of a wild card since Lock just signed a one-year / $5 million deal with the Giants this offseason, however, with more and more buzz surrounding the Giants drafting JJ McCarthy, it’s fair to wonder if New York could be looking at a situation where they have McCarthy, Daniel Jones, and Lock for the upcoming season. While they would prefer Jones to be the odd man out, cutting him would have the Giants eating $47 million in cap space. While it’s possible they could give him the Deshaun Watson treatment and remove him from team activities until they can find a trade partner, they could also roll with Jones and have McCarthy as QB2. It has been speculated that of all quarterbacks entering the draft, McCarthy would benefit the most from sitting a year. The Giants could move on from Jones in 2025 and hand the reigns off to their new pick. If this were the case, Lock would be the odd man out, and while they would have to eat the five million for this year, it’s a small amount compared to the Jones cap hit. It would be an excellent option for the Bears, given Lock’s history with Waldron’s offense while a member of the Seahawks last year.