With roster cuts officially in, the Chicago Bears have just two quarterbacks on their initial 53-man squad: rookie starter Caleb Williams and his backup, second-year standout Tyson Bagent.
The Bears elected to release veteran Brett Rypien while also waiving undrafted rookie Austin Reed, the latter of whom is a solid practice squad candidate.
Bagent is currently the senior member of Chicago’s QBs room at just 24 years old. Williams is 22. Considering the youth and inexperience at quarterback, one analyst believes adding a veteran signal-caller could help Williams in particular.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay compiled a list of one trade every team should consider making before the 2024 regular season begins. For the Bears, Kay proposed a trade that would send current Indianapolis Colts backup Joe Flacco and a 2026 seventh-round pick to Chicago in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
“Having a veteran backup on hand to assist in Williams’ development could be a major boon for the Bears,” Kay wrote on August 27. “Someone like Joe Flacco, who has Super Bowl experience and a wealth of experience to draw on from an NFL career that began all the way back in 2008, could expedite Williams’ emergence as a superstar.”
Could Trading for Joe Flacco Help Bears QB Caleb Williams & His Development?
Joe Flacco on his first drive with the Browns:
4/5
65 yards
TD
📺: FOX
It’s certainly couldn’t hurt. The NFL’s reigning Comeback Player of the Year, Flacco won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. He was named MVP of that game. While those days are long gone, he still showed why he could be a valuable addition as recent as last year.
Flacco went 4-1 in five starts for the Browns last season, helping lead Cleveland to a playoff berth. In six starts for the Browns last year (including one postseason game), Flacco threw for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
To be clear, Kay isn’t saying Flacco should surpass either Williams or Bagent on the depth chart. He’s suggesting Flacco’s knowledge base and experience could come in handy as a voice in the quarterbacks room, even as QB3. He’s not wrong.
“Even with the exciting preseason play of backup Tyson Bagent (who has become an intriguing trade candidate for these performances), the team won’t have any controversies on its hands. Williams has been penned in as the starter since the earliest portions of the offseason and will likely remain as such for years to come,” Kay wrote.
If Flacco Is Available, He’d Be an Intriguing Addition
It’s unclear whether the Colts would be willing to part ways with Flacco after signing him to one-year deal worth up to $8.7 million ($4.5 million fully guaranteed), but Kay seems to think it’s within the realm of possibility.
“The 39-year-old joined the Indianapolis Colts this offseason to back up Anthony Richardson, but the club also has fourth-year veteran Sam Ehlinger on hand for those duties,” Kay noted.
Flacco spent his first 11 seasons with the Ravens, a year with the Denver Broncos and three seasons with the New York Jets before landing with the Browns last year. His experience — in the regular and postseason — is undeniable. He has played in 16 playoff games over his career, going 10-6 in those matchups. He has just under 44,000 passing yards over his career.
The Bears like their QBs room currently, and for good reason. But adding a player of Flacco’s ilk would give Williams and Bagent one of the league’s most experienced quarterbacks to learn from, and that could be a good thing.
