Glennon's future tied to Bears' draft decision
Mike Glennon is the Bears' undisputed starting quarterback and the bridge to their next quarterback, but how far will that bridge extend?
A key factor in Glennon's longevity as a Bear will be determined before he ever throws a pass for his new team. It will have a direct correlation to how soon the Bears draft a quarterback next month, and it's a foregone conclusion they will - sooner rather than later.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace admitted as much when he was asked if Glennon's presence would affect when the Bears would address the quarterback position in the draft.
"It could," Pace said. "We're going to take the best player at every pick. We have a lot of confidence in Mike Glennon, and we're excited he's here. It opens things up."
Last week's addition of journeyman Mark Sanchez provides an experienced veteran backup, but his one-year deal indicates he's not a long-term option.
And it certainly doesn't mean the Bears won't draft a quarterback early. The addition of the 27-year-old Glennon allows them to honor their draft board, yet still acquire their "quarterback of the future" without reaching, drafting a QB earlier than his rating would indicate.
The consensus is that the Bears won't use the third overall pick on a quarterback. Even the best QBs in this year's class have serious questions about their ability to play right away. The preferable alternative would be to get an instant-impact defender at No. 3.
The risk and the expense are much less in the second round, where the Bears have the 36th overall pick. If any of the top four quarterbacks - Deshaun Watson, Mitchell Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes or DeShone Kizer - are still available, it would be a surprise if the Bears didn't pounce.
For now, Pace says, Glennon is the man, and he doesn't seem likely to change his mind after the draft.
"Mike Glennon's our starting quarterback," Pace said. "And we're fired up about that, and the chips will just fall where they may after that."
But, especially if the team struggles, how quickly will the Bears and Bears fans abandon the Glennon Plan in favor of The Next Big Thing? The higher the Bears draft a quarterback, the greater the financial commitment and the closer Glennon comes to losing the job. The most popular quarterback in Chicago is usually the one who isn't playing.
Part of the reason Pace felt confident in offering Glennon a three-year, $45 million deal with $18.5 guaranteed, was the consensus at Halas Hall regarding the former third-round pick.
"It's not just me," Pace said. "There's a collective agreement in the building. I'm going to let the coaches make their evaluations on their own, scouts are going to make their evaluations on their own, I'm going to make my evaluation, and when we all independently come to the same conclusion, that's a good feeling."
Glennon's career passer rating of 84.6 is just a tad lower than Jay Cutler's 85.2 in his eight years as the Bears' starter. But, as committed to Glennon as the Bears are right now, Pace's overall philosophy is building a team through the draft.
If that's true, then how urgent is the Bears' need to get the quarterback they can build around for the long haul? That question is being deliberated at Halas Hall, and if it isn't already in the back of Glennon's mind, it will be if the Bears draft a quarterback.
"I don't even know what the options are right now," Glennon said at his introductory news conference. "I heard Ryan (Pace) say I'm the starting quarterback."
But Glennon knows there is an urgency to play well and for the team to succeed. Even though he played impressively as a rookie who started 13 games on a bad Tampa Bay Buccaneers team in 2013, by the next season he lost the job to journeyman Josh McCown. A year later he was permanently replaced by No. 1 overall draft pick Jameis Winston.
"I think as a quarterback you always have to perform" Glennon said. "That's the business of the NFL. If you're not performing, then you're not going to be around. That's every position, that's every player in the league, and it's no different for me. I have full confidence I'll be here for a long time and we'll win a lot of football games."
It's conceivable Glennon could play well enough to keep the job for several years. But how well does he have to play to keep a high draft pick on the bench?
"He's got all the traits that you want in a quarterback; height, arm strength, accuracy and the ability to quickly process," Pace said. "So I don't know how high (his) ceiling is. I'm just glad we have him in the mix as our starting quarterback to compete and get better."
It'll be interesting to see how much time those traits buy Glennon with a younger quarterback waiting in the wings.
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