Chicago Bears pair up Robert Quinn with Khalil Mack

The Chicago Bears made a much bigger splash in free agency than anyone saw coming when they signed pass rusher Robert Quinn for $70 million.

The Chicago Bears have been spending money no one really knew they had in the 2020 free agent period so far, including making a substantial investment in pass rusher Robert Quinn, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys.

Quinn, who had a resurgence this past season in Dallas, was widely thought to be a priority of the Cowboys, who have had a lot of other players to worry about as the free agent negotiating period opened up.

This past season, he finished with 34 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, and 22 quarterback hits to go along with 35 pressures. He put up those numbers in just 14 games, too.

Now, he’s joining Khalil Mack with the Chicago Bears and the two have a chance to be one of the best pass rushing duos in the entire NFL.

Khalil Mack is coming off of a somewhat down year with the Bears notching just 8.5 sacks, but he still had a whopping 45 pressures on the quarterback.

The Bears now have two players with a combined 80 pressures on the QB, and that doesn’t include defensive linemen like Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, and Roy Robertson-Harris who can also apply pressure to the quarterback on their own.

Chicago’s also got players like Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan who can bring heat on blitzes.

In conjunction with this move to sign Robert Quinn, the Bears released former first-round pick Leonard Floyd.

Quinn, who was a first-round pick in the vaunted 2011 NFL Draft, has put together a very solid NFL career in a variety of cities. Starting off in St. Louis and moving to Los Angeles with the Rams, Quinn has played for the Dolphins and Cowboys before landing in what could be his final NFL city in Chicago.

He and Khalil Mack are going to be expected to bring a lot of heat, and they’ve both proven more than capable throughout their careers. Defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano is going to be able to rely on his front seven making a lot of plays in 2020.