Defensive end Robert Quinn is one of the most unique personalities in the Bears’ locker room, and he usually has a different view on his situation than everyone else does.
So while it seems logical that the Bears would try to trade him ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline, and it seems logical that Quinn would want to move to a contender, he has said all along that he values consistency and wants to stay.
That’s contrary to a Washington Post report this week about the Bears shopping him, which included a line that he has wanted out ever since they began their rebuild.
“People like stories,” Quinn told the Sun-Times on Thursday. “I’m not walking into this building thinking about being somewhere else. I don’t want to walk in being a fake, acting like I want to be here but really I don’t. I’m here and I’m as happy as I can be.”
Quinn, now in his 12th season, has repeatedly mentioned how much he didn’t like being traded by the Rams to the Dolphins in 2018, then sent to the Cowboys the next year, then being told by the Cowboys they weren’t interested in bringing him back in 2020.
When the possibility of the Bears trading him came up in the offseason, Quinn said he expected to remain with the team and added, “You get tired of moving.”
He struggled with his transition to the Bears after signing a five-year, $70 million deal that year, but eventually got comfortable and flourished. Quinn set the franchise record with 18.5 sacks last season, and since then has made clear his preference is to maintain stability.
“I’ve got a wife and kids, so that’s a part of it, and I know this locker room pretty well,” Quinn said. “I’m a pretty quiet guy, so it takes a little while for me to kinda show my personality.
“But all I can control is myself. Anything that happens after that is coming from upstairs and out of my control.”
That’s the hard reality for Quinn: The Bears are highly unlikely to factor in his wishes as they explore trade possibilities.
General manager Ryan Poles said before the season opener that he was “a huge fan” of Quinn as a player and mentor for younger players and that he valued those contributions more than a future draft pick. However, at 32, Quinn probably doesn’t fit Poles’ long-term plan for the roster.
Unfortunately for the Bears, they might’ve missed their most advantageous window to deal him. Coming off 18.5 sacks, the market was almost certainly higher for Quinn in the offseason than it is now as he has just one sack in the first six games. The Bears would also have to eat some of his contract, which runs through 2024.
But if Poles can find an enticing deal, there’s a chance Quinn is looking at his final games with the Bears on Monday against the Patriots and next week against the Cowboys.
“If I put that in my mind, I’m kinda removing myself from this locker room,” he said. “I push it aside.”
