Wannstedt: Why Bears should trade for Stafford to ‘win now'

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With all the hype surrounding a possible Deshaun Watson trade, former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt thinks the Bears should look a little closer for a splashy deal to land a new quarterback: Detroit. With reports coming out that the Lions and Matthew Stafford have decided to split, Wannstedt thinks the Bears should make an offer on the franchise QB, especially if they’re in “win now” mode.

“If it was a new staff, a young staff, I’d say no,” Wannstedt said on NBC Sports Chicago’s Facebook Live Show, The Rush. “Because Matthew Stafford does make me a little bit nervous because of the history of injuries. But in a situation where the Bears are at, I think they’ve got to win next year. It’s pretty obvious to everybody. If that is the case— I may be wrong— if they do, Matthew Stafford is a heck of a player. There’s no question about that.”

The only hang up will be convincing the Lions to trade Stafford to a division rival, especially when they’re expected to have many suitors.

“I know that Indy wants him,” Wannstedt said. “I’m hearing that New England wants him, possibly New Orleans, I heard that one this morning, they could be in the market for a veteran quarterback. The teams that feel they can win now are the teams that are going to be after him.”

While there’s no indication that Stafford has a no-trade clause, things are reportedly still amicable between him and the team. As such, they’d likely accommodate his preferences if new GM Brad Holmes receives equal offers from several teams. Wannstedt says that’s important to remember as well.

“The other side of the coin is, how good does he think the Bears are going to be? Because he has made the statement, ‘I want to go—  I don’t have many years left, the money’s not a factor now— I want the chance to win, and win big.’ So we’ll find out real quick if they go after him, what the perception is.”

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