LAKE FOREST – One could easily argue that the best story of the 2021 Bears’ season is the play of one of their outside linebacker.
That’s because Robert Quinn has not only shook off a bad 2020 season but has returned to his All-Pro form in the process. Over the course of the last month, he’s established himself as one of the NFL’s best defenders in 2021 and received recognition from the league for his efforts.
On Thursday, Quinn was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for November after an impressive stretch of three games in which he registered 5 1/2 sacks, six quarterback hits, a forced fumble to go along with 14 tackles.
Included in that was a 3 1/2 sack performance against the Ravens in Week 11, which was just one short of the franchise record held by Richard Dent.
After netting just two sacks during the entire 2020 season in 15 games, Quinn has 11 for the 2021 campaign through ten games, which is tied for fourth in the NFL. He also has 13 quarterback hits along with three forced fumbles in those contests as well.
His production has been much needed, especially when Khalil Mack sidelined for the rest of the season after getting surgery on his ailing foot which had bothered him the entire season.
Quinn becomes the 24th player in Bears’ history to be named a player of the month in the NFC, with the first being linebacker Wilber Marshall in December of 1986. Cairo Santos was the last Bears’ player to receive the honor, having been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month in December of 2020.
Safety Eddie Jackson was the last defender to win the honor, doing so in November of 2018.