When the Eagles play the Bears in a Chicago later this season, the home team will literally be paying one of the visiting team’s defensive players to chase quarterback Justin Fields.
The trade that sent defensive end Robert Quinn to Philadelphia on Wednesday leaves behind $7.1 million in salary to be paid by the Bears, according to NFL Media. The Eagles will be paying Quinn the prorated veteran minimum.
That’s become a trend in recent years, with teams essentially buying draft picks by paying a large chunk of the salary of an expensive, older player.
So why would the Bears do it? They were paying Quinn anyway, and they would have likely cut him after the season, given that his 2023 salary is $13.9 million. So instead of getting nothing later, they sacrifice him for the final 10 games of 2022 and get a fourth-round pick in return. And they save a little money along the way.
The Eagles will now have to figure out what to do with Quinn after 2022. Absent a restructed deal, they likely will cut him, making the fourth-round pick nothing other than the price for a part-season rental of a player who may help the Eagles get over the top.
