Andy Dalton signed on to be the Chicago Bears' starting quarterback. The marriage, however, came only after the club struck out on a more tantalizing mate.
The Bears took a swing at acquiring star quarterback Russell Wilson in a would-be blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks. Chicago came up empty.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday on Good Morning Football that Bears GM Ryan Pace and Seahawks GM John Schneider met in Fargo, North Dakota, presumably after attending Trey Lance's pro day, and discussed a potential swap for the discontented QB.
"The Bears certainly made a big offer -- multiple first-round picks," Rapoport said. "The Seahawks slept on it. They discussed it. Yesterday, they decided, specifically coach Pete Carroll, 70 years old, does not want to rebuild, decided we are not trading Russell Wilson to the Bears."
Only after the Seahawks made it clear they weren't trading Wilson did the Bears move to sign Dalton as the stand-in.
It's the type of drama that could be the first act of a hit rom-com.
How each side moves on from here will tell the rest of the story.
The Seahawks, evidently deciding they won't trade Wilson at all, must now work to repair the relationship with the QB who wants a bigger say in the offense and to be heard in the decision rooms.
The Bears move forward with Dalton knowing that the club had eyes on a bigger prize. Dalton's one-year deal also underscores that the endless search for a long-term franchise quarterback in Chicago remains unresolved. Unsaid is the likely reality that the Bears didn't own enough capital to entice the Seahawks into truly considering trading their star signal-caller.
At least this time, Bears fans can't fault Pace for not shooting his shot at trying to acquire Wilson.
