Bears trade Robert Quinn to Eagles: Why it makes sense and what's next (2024)

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has always maintained that he will do what’s best for the Bears so they can sustain success “for a long period of time,” something he echoed when talking to reporters Monday night at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

That strategy came into play Wednesday when he traded defensive end Robert Quinn to the Eagles for a 2023 fourth-round pick.

Quinn is a team captain. He was the 2021 Jeff Dickerson PFWA Media Good Guy Award winner. He set the franchise’s single-season record in sacks in 2021 with 18 1/2. His numbers have been pedestrian this season, but he’s still capable of affecting the passer.

The win over the Patriots on Monday night, as impressive as it was, didn’t turn the Bears into buyers with the trade deadline less than a week away. Poles moved his most tradable player, and Quinn — who has played in only two playoff games in his career — gets another shot at the postseason.

The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns give their take on the trade:

Fishbain: It seemed more “when” than “if” with Quinn, and this trade made too much sense for all sides. The Eagles get help in the pass rush, Quinn goes to a Super Bowl contender and the Bears get a fourth-round pick, which, outside the Khalil Mack deal, is the best pick they’ve received for a player since Martellus Bennett in 2016. Is there any downside for the Bears to this trade? We know how revered Quinn is in the locker room — just watch Roquan Smith’s reaction — but this is a business and Poles has to have the long view, right?

Here’s Roquan Smith reacting in the moment to the news of his teammate Robert Quinn getting traded to the Eagles:#Bears @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/lRJT0QPY2H

— Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) October 26, 2022

Jahns: You’re right. In the moment, it could be difficult for Bears players to process. They love Quinn. They voted him a team captain for many reasons. People forget that players are people, too. Quinn will be missed. Again, just look at Smith’s reaction in the moment. The news broke when Smith was meeting the media at Halas Hall. He wiped tears away and paused before saying: “I have a great deal of respect for that guy. Damn. Crazy.” But when Smith and his teammates step back, the business side of this move by the Bears shouldn’t be too difficult for all of them to understand. The Bears are a rebuilding team that wants to get younger. The players should know that. They can be happy for Quinn — who is 32 and in his 12th season — that he gets a shot with a Super Bowl contender in the Eagles.

Fishbain: Let’s get to the compensation — a fourth-round pick. I always thought Quinn would be a deadline move. The Bears liked the idea of having someone who knew the defense and who could help with the young edge rushers. But now, seven games into the season, even if his numbers are down, this is when other teams are desperate. This is when contenders need to find that missing piece, and Quinn — at a premium position — can provide that. Could they have gotten a third in the summer or earlier in the offseason, coming off the 18 1/2-sack season? Maybe, but considering his contract, I doubt it. A fourth might’ve been the best Poles could have done.

Jahns: Trade markets develop and change at different times and for different reasons. It’s probably safe to assume that there wasn’t one to Poles’ liking during the offseason. Deadlines always spur action, too. All GMs will tell you that. Poles gets another mid-round pick to build toward the future. But the present still must be handled by coach Matt Eberflus. He’ll have to address his team. He has a culture to build at Halas Hall, and his team just traded one of its four permanent captains, as voted by his players. This move, though, doesn’t happen without Eberflus’ blessing. It surely wasn’t easy for him to give. Eberflus wants to win every game, and Quinn helps with that. But Eberflus also knows that he’s overseeing a multiyear overhaul of the Bears. He signed up for this and should have been prepared for this situation.

Fishbain: Let’s turn the page to what’s next for the Bears at defensive end. One of the reasons they can make this move is they have two young, ascending players who can benefit from more playing time — Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson, who will join veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad. But it won’t be an easy replacement. Quinn led all defensive linemen in snaps. However, Robinson being raw and Gipson going through a position change, both should be able to take advantage of the extra reps, and it could give Poles a good sense of what they have heading into the offseason.

Jahns: Poles has been adamant about maintaining his long-term approach to overhauling the Bears to sustain success. He repeated that stance hours before the Bears beat the Patriots in New England. Their victory — as impressive as it was with quarterback Justin Fields playing well and rookie defensive backs Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker making interceptions — didn’t change his outlook. With Quinn traded to Philadelphia, younger defensive players get to play and develop more under Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams, while Poles has a new fourth-round pick to use for the 2023 draft.

(Top photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)