Mark Sanchez Contract: Chicago Bears Rumors Shift NFL Mock Drafts, No Rookie QB?

Mark Sanchez’s contract with the Chicago Bears confirms the negative state of the franchise. There had been a number of Chicago Bears quarterback rumors, but this one was the least favorable when it came to fan opinions. Sanchez has reportedly signed a one-year deal with the Bears, giving the team another option as it replaces Jay Cutler. This likely makes Sanchez the primary backup for the team moving forward.

A report by NFL analyst Adam Schefter also reveals some interesting Chicago Bears rumors that have developed out of this situation, as the team is very unlikely to target a quarterback early in the 2017 NFL Draft now. Instead, the Bears’ quarterback situation will have Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez, David Fales, and Connor Shaw listed in that order on the depth chart. It’s not a ground-breaking group of signal callers.

This news about the updated Chicago Bears mock drafts isn’t going to be welcomed by fans of the team, many who had hoped that the 2017 NFL Draft would hold an answer at the quarterback position. It’s still possible that the franchise will target someone in the later rounds, but they won’t be taking someone from the top-tier of a pretty weak QB class. The outlook for the 2018 NFL Draft is a bit better in that regard.

Mark Sanchez’s stats come from an eight-year NFL career that has included a lot of bumps and bruises. After being a highly-touted quarterback for the USC Trojans, Sanchez played four years for the New York Jets. With the Jets, Sanchez posted a 33-29 record as a starting quarterback, along with a quarterback rating of just 71.7. That improved a bit with the Philadelphia Eagles but dipped again during his time with the Dallas Cowboys. The Denver Broncos even had him on the roster one point.

Mike Glennon’s stats aren’t much better, even though he is expected to take over as the Bears’ starting quarterback. He was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for four seasons, posting a combined record of 5-13 as a starter, playing in a total of 21 games. He had 30 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, and an 84.6 quarterback rating during that time. In a group of pretty bad quarterbacks, Glennon clearly stands out. He too should be worried about the Mark Sanchez contract, as it indicates the team is going to have a battle at the position during training camp.

There had been a lot of Chicago Bears rumors about the future of the franchise and what was going to take place with Jay Cutler. Posting a 3-13 record during the 2016 NFL season didn’t help matters, especially as the team managed to only score 279 total points for the year. The team then released Cutler after having only one playoff appearance in eight years with the Bears.

There was worse Chicago Bears news this offseason, though, as star receiver Alshon Jeffery signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. This leaves another hole on the offense for the Bears and one which needs to be addressed during the upcoming NFL draft. There have been a number of Bears mock drafts that address the concerns at receiver in later rounds, but experts like Mel Kiper at ESPN feel that the Bears are going to target defense with that nice first-round selection.

There are going to be continued rumors about the struggling franchise as free agency carries on and the 2017 NFL Draft at the end of April draws closer. The team is still packed with question marks, including who might become the new leader of the franchise. The situation with all these Chicago Bears quarterbacks might not be a positive one for fans looking at the depth chart, but at least the Mark Sanchez contract is expected to be an inexpensive one when the front office makes the official announcement on Friday (March 24).

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