Source: Chicago Bears trade DE Robert Quinn to Eagles
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears have traded veteran pass rusher Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Quinn, 32, has been with the Bears since April 2020 when he signed a five-year, $70 million deal as a free agent. A league source confirmed with ESPN that the Bears are absorbing the bulk of Quinn's 2022 salary.
This is the third time Quinn has been traded over his 12-year NFL career and second time to a team in the NFC East. Quinn was sent from the Rams to the Miami Dolphins in 2018 and then to the Dallas Cowboys one year later.
Quinn was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason after Chicago hired a new front office and coaching staff that parted ways with more than 20 players from the Bears' previous regime. That included trading fellow pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers in March in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick and 2023 sixth-round selection.
Quinn, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, broke the Bears' single-season sack record with 18.5 in 2021. Though his statistics have leveled off this season, he is regarded as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL. In seven games this season, he has one sack, three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and eight total tackles.
Bears linebacker Roquan Smith became emotional during his Wednesday news conference when asked about reports of the trade.
"Let me take a second for a second, if you don't mind," Smith said while wiping away tears. "You know, I have a great deal of respect for that guy. Damn. Crazy."
On the Eagles' side, they haven't been lacking in pass-rush production -- they've posted 17 sacks and 39 quarterback hits in six games -- but they wanted to add depth at a key position, especially after losing defensive end Derek Barnett for the season with an ACL tear in the opener against the Detroit Lions.
Quinn joins a group that includes Josh Sweat, Brandon Graham and Tarron Jackson, who have combined for 5.5 sacks on the year.
"I think it's another great player on this team. He has a history of being a great defensive end and edge rusher, and I think he'll help us out in a number of ways," said Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. "Adds a lot of depth, and I'm excited to meet him [Thursday] when he comes."
Quinn reported to training camp on time after skipping out on the Bears' entire offseason program, including mandatory minicamp in June. He said then that he never expected to go anywhere while also noting the uncertainty of a decision that is not up to him.
"I've been traded twice," Quinn said in July. "You get tired of moving. I thought I did a good job last year, but I guess I'll just continue to try to re-prove myself. ... I expect to be here, but I guess if not, well, that's out of my control. I'm just going to take it day by day and have fun here with the guys and just let life take its course."
Quinn has been on the field for 67.86% of defensive snaps, which leads all of Chicago's defensive linemen. The Bears used a fifth-round pick on Dominique Robinson in May, who figures to take on a bigger role behind fellow edge rushers Al-Quadin Muhammad and Trevis Gipson.
Quinn was the oldest defensive player on Chicago's roster and was not expected to be part of Chicago's (3-4) long-term plans. He carries an $18.237 million cap hit for 2023 and has approximately $7.9 million remaining of his $12.8 million base salary for 2022.
According to Over the Cap, after the Quinn trade is finalized, the Bears will be around $134 million under the cap in 2023, the most salary-cap space of any team in the NFL.
ESPN's Tim McManus contributed to this report.
Trending Reader Picks
ABC News Live