Is a trade for Sam Darnold still in play for the Bears?

At this point most Chicago Bears fans are in full on Russell Wilson Watch mode, but swinging a deal for a for a quarterback in his prime is difficult to say the least, so the Bears may be forced to set their sights a bit lower this offseason. We’ve discussed every possible QB scenario for the Bears as they’ve come up these last few weeks, but until general manager Ryan Pace picks his next guy, the Bears will continue to be linked/rumored to all available QBs.

In the latest Monday Morning Quarterback column form Albert Breer via Sports Illustrated, he talks about the New York Jets and their ongoing trade discussions for Sam Darnold. Breer reports that eight teams have called New York to inquire about Darnold’s availability, but that the Jets want to get a chance to watch the top draft eligible quarterbacks up close and personal before they make a decision to trade him.

The pro days they’d want to attend are those for North Dakota State’s Trey Lance (March 12), BYU’s Zach Wilson (March 26), and Ohio State’s Justin Fields (March 31).

With the league year opening on March 17, which is the date free agency begins and trades can become official, the Jets may be forced to move Darnold before seeing each prospect throw in person.

While not specifically mentioning the Bears as one of the eight teams to check in on a trade for Darnold, Breer does mention the Bears as one of three “teams to watch” along with Washington and San Francisco. Since the Bears aren’t drafting high enough to snag one of the top rookie quarterbacks, Breer feels the Bears trading for a young prospect like Darnold could be their “best play.”

With reports circulating that the Bears have made a trade for Wilson their top priority, I would imagine the 23-year old Darnold would be one of several fallback options for them.