The Chicago Bears have committed to Mitchell Trubisky as their Week 1 starter for 2020 while also endorsing competition at quarterback, but any fans worried general manager Ryan Pace isn't serious about the latter can rest assured that he's already eyed several veterans ahead of free agency. The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. recently reported that the Bears "have been in touch with the Bengals" regarding a potential trade for Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton. And now Dehner's colleagues, Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic Chicago, have added to that notion, passing along word from the Scouting Combine that Dalton and impending free agent Case Keenum are the two "realistic candidates to join Trubisky" in the Bears' QB room this offseason.

Dalton, in particular, has long been a speculated target of Chicago. Projected by some as this year's version of Ryan Tannehill (a starter-in-waiting in need of a change of scenery), the three-time Pro Bowler is all but a lock to be replaced in Cincy with a first-round draft pick (see: Burrow, Joe), and the 32-year-old played under new Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor from 2016-2018.

Because the Bengals could demand compensation as high as a second-round draft pick for Dalton, per Fishbain and Jahns, the 32-year-old Keenum could be a more realistic option. Reportedly also on the Cleveland Browns' radar, Keenum opened 2019 as the Washington Redskins starter before giving way to Dwayne Haskins. The journeyman hasn't stayed with one team for more than two years at a time, but he's flashed as a spot starter for a half-decade, most notably with the Minnesota Vikings in 2017.

As for bigger-name QB options, Fishbain and Jahns added that New Orleans Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater "appears out of the picture" as he seeks an annual salary between $15-$20 million, while former Tennessee Titans starter Marcus Mariota seems "less likely" to land in Chicago than either Dalton or Keenum.