The Chicago Bears have been in search of a franchise quarterback for the last few decades, a search that continues heading into a make-or-break year for GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy. And Alabama’s Mac Jones has been on their radar during this pre-draft process.
Chicago sent offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo to Alabama’s pro day to get a good look at Jones.
It turns out, the Bears also had a formal pre-draft meeting, which Jones said was “a great meeting,” according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.
“We just talked football for an hour straight,” Jones said. “That’s the best type of meeting for me. …Hopefully I’ll get a chance to talk to them more and see where that relationship goes.”
Alabama quarterback Mac Jones has met with the Bears and called it "a great meeting."
"We just talked football for an hour straight. That's the best type of meeting for me. … Hopefully I'll get a chance to talk to them more and see where that relationship goes."
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) March 29, 2021
There’s a good chance that Jones isn’t on the board when Chicago’s first pick comes around at No. 20. Which is why the Bears are reportedly doing their homework on Day 2 quarterbacks.
And while there isn’t an overwhelming belief that Chicago is going to trade up to grab one of those top-five prospects in the top 10. But we all know how GM Ryan Pace operate. If he determines his guy is Jones, he’s going to do whatever it takes to land him. Including trading substantial draft capital, especially with his and Matt Nagy’s jobs on the line in 2021.
While quarterback hasn’t been the only problem, it’s been the biggest for this team, which is why Chicago has been aggressive in its pursuit of a quarterback this offseason.
The Bears have been in discussions with several teams throughout this offseason about trading for quarterbacks, including, most notably, Seattle’s Russell Wilson. Chicago even made an offer — three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two players. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. At least right now.
