A Former Bear-Turned-Head Coach is a Big Trubisky Fan

Two topics of conversation have dominated the Chicago Bears airwaves of late. One is quarterback Mitch Trubisky. What can the team do to help him moving forward? Then there's the matter of head coach John Fox. After several weeks of consistently seeing the Bears perform undisciplined football, it has reinforced the calls for him to receive his walking papers. That and the 10-27 record he currently sports of course. Bears ownership said they were willing to trust the process and be patient. Then again this isn't anything new. In fact the McCaskey family has a terrible habit of hanging onto bad or outdated coaches. Ask Dick Jauron and Dave Wannstedt. There was a valid argument to fire Fox this past offseason. With Trubisky on board now the pressure is only increasing. Fox has never successfully developed a rookie in his career. Do the Bears trust he can do it after three-straight losing seasons? Plenty of people have their doubts. Already the search has begun for possible replacements. One of the most popular names has Bears connections, along with another interesting wrinkle. (continue on next page)

Jim Harbaugh reportedly is a fan of quarterback Mitch Trubisky

Chicago is heading to Baltimore this week for a game against the Ravens. It marks the first time the two teams have met since 2013. This gave media a chance to catch up with Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. The upcoming game was discussed, as of course was Trubisky. To date the veteran coach is 11-0 against rookie quarterbacks. Most people don't imagine that's going to change. One interesting piece of info came when John referenced his brother, Jim Harbaugh. Most Bears fans know him well. He's a former first round pick and quarterback of the franchise in the 1980s and '90s. Then he became a head coach, taking San Francisco to the Super Bowl in 2012. Currently he's heading up the program at Michigan. As it turns out Jim has kept track of Trubisky and is a big fan.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he talked Trubisky with his brother Jim, the former Bears quarterback and current Michigan coach, before the draft. “He liked him coming out,” he said. “You know I did talk to him about the quarterbacks — I always do. And he thought very highly of him.”

So what makes this information so fascinating?

By itself there's not much to it. However, it becomes a huge deal when clustered together with other bits of info gathered in recent months. The big one being a rumor that Harbaugh views the Bears head coaching position as his "dream job." This came courtesy of ESPN reporter and Pro Football Writers of America president Jim Trotter.

This set off a firestorm of speculation on what might happen if Fox were dismissed. It didn't happen this past offseason so nobody got an answer. Most believe there's no way Harbaugh leaves Michigan. At least not until he wins them a national championship. It's unclear whether that's true. What is clear is he apparently covets the Bears job and now has a liking for their new young quarterback. Remember that Harbaugh got Alex Smith to an NFC championship and Colin Kaepernick to a Super Bowl. He understands the position and how to make it a success. He's got Bears blood in his veins. It's hard not to feel excited about the idea of him taking over the development of Trubisky. Not only that but his arrival might even persuade defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to stick around. It will be fascinating to monitor over the next few months.