This week has been a whirlwind for veteran defensive end Robert Quinn. He started it by helping the Chicago Bears defeat the New England Patriots 33-14 on Monday Night Football, pushing their record to 3-4 on the season. He and his teammates were beginning preparation for their trip to face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8 until Quinn got the news; he had been traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bears received a fourth-round pick in return for Quinn, who had 18.5 sacks last season. Now, he suiting up for the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL and is preparing for a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It is a surreal feeling as Quinn has gone from a rebuilding team to one with Super Bowl aspirations. He had his introductory press conference on Thursday and admitted that his first reaction to the trade was shock.
“In all honestly, I’m still kind of [shocked],” Quinn said in the press conference. “I’ve been telling everyone, I’m still trying to I guess get a full grasp on what’s happening in the transition. But besides that, happy. I’m in a new place. I told everyone, I just want to come in, do my part. They’ve been rocking and rolling before I got here, so I don’t want to mess anything up. Just try to add whatever I can to help make this team better — and basically stay out the way.”
Quinn’s production hasn’t been as prolific this season as it was last year, as he only has one sack with two tackles for a loss and three quarterback hits. But, his track record speaks for itself.
He will be joining an impressive group of pass rushers in Philadelphia, who already have Hassan Riddick, Bradon Graham, Fletcher Cox and Josh Sweat wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Quinn is ready to do whatever is asked of him to help the team win some more football games.
“I’ll just do whatever they ask,” Quinn said. “Like I said earlier, I just want to do my part to help contribute and keep helping this team do what they’ve been doing this year, and that’s winning. So, whatever my contribution may be from what they have, I’m just trying to do that to the best of my ability.”
The Eagles now possess one of the deepest, most talented pass-rushing groups in the NFL. The depth will help keep their players fresh, giving them an edge late in games and deeper into the season with attrition hits.
Adding Robert Quinn also means that one of the other contending teams in the league doesn’t get him. Having him rush the passer for them instead of scheming how to slow him down is certainly a better position for the Eagles to be in.
