Bears sign Robert Quinn to five-year deal, release Leonard Floyd

The Bears have signed edge rusher Robert Quinn to a five-year, $70 million deal with $30 million guaranteed, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport announced on Tuesday. The team has also released 2016 first-round pick Leonard Floyd, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Quinn is coming off of an impressive season with the Cowboys, having tallied 11.5 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss in 14 games this past year. He was traded to Dallas from the Dolphins last offseason after spending one season in Miami, during which he had 6.5 sacks in 16 games. He is best known for his time with the Rams, where he spent 7 seasons, tallied 62.5 sacks and appeared in two Pro Bowls.

There was discussion around whether the Bears would re-sign or dump Floyd, as the overall consensus was that the team did not want to pay him a sizable contract that would come with a fifth-year option. The former first-round pick spent four seasons in Chicago, tallying 18.5 sacks in that tenure. Though he provided value as a run defender and as a versatile chess piece to drop back into coverage, he simply failed to become the quality pass-rusher the team wanted him to be when he was selected ninth overall in the 2016 draft.

Acquiring Quinn is a major win-now move that gives the Bears one of the most intimidating tandems off the edge in the league with Khalil Mack alongside him. Though the two-time Pro Bowler has been in the league five more years than Floyd, he’s only older by two years, and he is a significantly better pass-rusher who will give the Bears that reliable force they desperately needed at the other edge rusher position.