The Chicago Bears are definitely going to be looking closely at the quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft class, but one of the top names among that group will not be participating in one of the offseason’s biggest events.
That player is Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, who just got done leading his Tigers to a national championship this month. According to NFL.com, Watson has declined an invitation to participate in the Senior Bowl game later this month in Mobile, AL.
That news is likely unwelcome for the Bears, as they will be sending their coaching staff to the game to get a close look at some of the NFL Draft’s top prospects. Watson is rated as one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class, along with Notre Dame’s Deshone Kizer and North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, and with his stock on the rise, he could be among the players the Bears consider taking early in the draft.
In 15 games this season for the Tigers, Watson completed 388-of-579 passing attempts for 4593 yards and 41 touchdowns, and he had a stellar game against Alabama in the national title contest. He threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns against the Crimson Tide as Clemson won the championship in stunning fashion.
The full list of participants in this year’s Senior Bowl game will be announced on Wednesday afternoon, and the Bears will get to coach the North team when the game takes place next week.
