by LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) – The undefeated Philadelphia Eagles already have one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Now they add another pass rusher to the mix.
The Eagles on Wednesday acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Robert Quinn from the Chicago Bears for a 2023 fourth-round pick.
The teams said the trade is still awaiting a physical test.
Quinn evolves from a rebuild franchise into a Super Bowl contender. The Eagles (6-0) are the only undefeated team. After a bye, Philadelphia hosts Pittsburgh on Sunday.
“I think there’s another great player on this team,” said Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. “He has a history of being a great defensive end and edge rusher. I think he will help us in many ways. Adds a lot of depth and I look forward to getting to know him. I look forward to meeting him (Thursday) when he comes.”
Quinn, 32, got off to a slow start with just one sack and three quarterback hits after deciding not to participate in offseason workouts. But he broke Hall of Famer Richard Dent’s franchise record with 18 1/2 sacks last year in a resurgent season.
“I appreciate — I think I’ve talked about it a lot — the locker room and what it means and the culture and it (stinks) to mess around with, to be honest with you,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said.
“But again, my job is to do what is best for this organization not only now but also in the future. I felt this was the best move for us.”
With Quinn, an Eagles defense that already has Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and Jordan Davis becomes even more intimidating. He replaces defensive end Derek Barnett, who tore an ACL in the Detroit opener.
The Eagles hold opponents for 297.8 yards per game, which is fourth in the NFL. They are fifth against the pass at 188 yards and second in interceptions with nine. When it comes to sacks, they rank 10th with 17. And that’s one area where Quinn could help.
He has 102 sacks in 12 seasons with the Rams, Miami, Dallas and Chicago. Quinn was an All-Pro at St. Louis in 2013 when he had a career-high 19 sacks and reached his second straight Pro Bowl the following year. He went from 11 1/2 sacks with Dallas in 2019 to just two for Chicago in 2020.
Quinn rallied tremendously last year and looked like a likely candidate for off-season trading considering the bears are essentially starting over. They hired Pole and coach Matt Eberflus to replace fired Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy after missing the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 years.
But the Poles said selling Quinn in the off-season wasn’t his intention.
“I know I wanted Robert on this team in the beginning,” he said. “There wasn’t much talk at all. I’ve been open with them – him and his crew – about it. I knew the way he played that game, the engine and all that.”
He said the Bears “needed that” to “kick-start” the defense’s performance under Eberflus and new coordinator Alan Williams.
Quinn, meanwhile, had said several times that he’d rather stay with the bears than be traded. The Pole said he wasn’t sure how his game had affected his market value this season.
When the deal went through, star linebacker Roquan Smith was caught off guard. He was on the podium addressing reporters when the news broke and he got emotional.
“Man. Yeah man. (Stinks),” he said, wiping his eyes with his shirt.
He was asked why.
“Give me a second for a second if you don’t mind,” Smith replied. After about 10 seconds he continued, “You know, I have a lot of respect for this guy, you know. Damn. Crazy.”
Smith got up and walked away, ending a short session. A team spokesman told reporters, “We’ll get you tomorrow.”
The Bears (3-4) visit the Dallas Cowboys (5-2) on Sunday. Chicago celebrates a surprise win in New England on Monday night.
Despite struggling against the run, the Bears have been one of the best at defending the pass. But now they are without one of their most important players.
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