LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- According to a source who spoke to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Chicago Bears have sent veteran pass rusher Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles in return for a fourth-round draft selection.
Quinn, 32, has been a member of the Bears since signing a five-year, $70 million contract with them in April 2020. Over the course of his 12-year NFL career, he has been traded three times, twice to teams in the NFC East. Quinn was traded by the Rams to the Miami Dolphins in 2018 and then, a year later, to the Dallas Cowboys.
After Chicago installed a new front office and coaching staff that parted ways with more than 20 players from the Bears' previous administration, Quinn became the focus of trade speculations throughout the summer. Among them was the March trade of Khalil Mack, a fellow pass rusher, to the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2022 second-round choice and a 2023 sixth-round pick.
Defensive end Quinn, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, set a new Bears single-season record for sacks in 2021 with 18.5 total. He is recognized as one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, despite the fact that his numbers have plateaued this season. He has eight total tackles, one sack, three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits in seven games this season.
When questioned about the trade rumors at his Wednesday press conference, Bears linebacker Roquan Smith broke down in tears.
Smith wiped her eyes, "Let me take a second for a second if you don't mind." "I mean, I've got a lot of respect for that man. Damn. Crazy."
With 17 sacks and 39 quarterback hits in six games, the Eagles haven't been short in pass-rush productivity, but they still wanted to bolster a crucial position after losing defensive end Derek Barnett for the year to an ACL rupture in the season opener against the Detroit Lions.
Quinn joins a group that includes Josh Sweat, Tarron Jackson, and Brandon Graham, who have recorded a total of 5.5 sacks this season.
"Another outstanding performer on this team, in my opinion. He's a fantastic defensive end and edge rusher in the past, and I believe he'll benefit us in a variety of ways "Jalen Hurts, the quarterback for the Eagles. adds a lot of richness, and I'm eager to meet him when he arrives on Thursday.
Quinn skipped the entire Bears summer schedule, including the required minicamp in June, but showed up on time for training camp. Then, he noted the uncertainty of a decision that is not up to him while also stating that he had never intended to go anywhere.
Quinn confessed to having been traded twice in July. "You tire of traveling around. I believed I performed well last year, but I guess I'll simply keep working to show myself. I anticipate being here, but if I'm not, I think that's beyond my control. I'm simply going to take it day by day, enjoy myself with the men here, and let things unfold naturally."
Quinn has played in 67.86% of Chicago's defensive snaps, the most of any defensive lineman. Dominique Robinson, who the Bears selected with their fifth-round choice in May, is expected to play a greater role than his teammates edge rushers, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Trevis Gipson.
Quinn was the oldest defensive player on the team for Chicago (3-4) and was not anticipated to be a long-term contributor. He has an $18.237 million cap hit for 2023 and around $7.9 million of his $12.8 million basic salary is still owed for that year.
Click here for more trending news
You can also follow us on our Twitter page
You can also follow us on our Tumblr page
You can also follow us on our Pinterest page