When the Chicago Bears open up the season against the Los Angeles Rams in week 1, the Bears pass rush will look similar to last year on paper. Once again, the duo of Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn will be tasked with getting after the quarterback, however, the Bears gameplan for Quinn is expected to be different heading into 2021.
Traditionally a defensive end in a 4-3 defense, Quinn switched to being a standup pass rusher, which led to just two sacks after signing a five-year deal worth $70M during free agency in 2020. Expectations have changed for Quinn as the Bears begin the 2021 season. Expect Quinn’s role to be different, with the Bears putting him in more positions to succeed, maximizing his skillset as a true pass rusher.
“He looks good to me,” said head coach Matt Nagy via the Bears official YouTube Page. “I think he’s put together a really good training camp and now here we are, week 1, and now it’s just about going out and doing his thing and cutting him lose on Sunday night. If you guys know Robert, he’s about as chill as they come. And so is he motivated? Yeah. Deep down inside, there’s a reason why he’s been the type of player he’s been his whole career, so I’m sure there’s a little chip inside, but for him, he does, he never talks about it. He just wants to come out and be a great teammate and make plays.”
Quinn may not be in the Bears’ plans once the calendar turns to 2022 but Chicago is willing to give the 31-year old pass rusher one final to prove himself.
“I think we’re all motivated for our individual reasons,” Quinn said via the Bears official YouTube Page. “The Bears organization is known for the defense, I guess when I was here last year, to go 8-8, middle of the pack, isn’t standard, that I can tell. I don’t accept that as my standard either. At the end of the day, the standard is just keep as many points off the board as possible and just win games.”
When Quinn takes the field on Sunday night against the Rams, every snap of his will be under the microscope, beginning a critical evaluation process that will determine his future in the NFL.