Bears Openly Admit They Handcuffed Trubisky Before He Became Starter

The decision-making around the entire Mitch Trubisky development plan is beyond baffling. GM Ryan Pace stated from the beginning what the Chicago Bears hoped to do. They wanted him to sit on the bench, learn the system and watch veteran Mike Glennon operate on the field. It wasn't a bad plan in theory, but the saying goes that no plan survives first contact with implementation. Right from the start there were problems. Glennon looked nothing like the serviceable quarterback he was in Tampa Bay. He threw bad interceptions and took unnecessary sacks. Meanwhile Trubisky looked far ahead of the curve in preseason. He was poised, aggressive and pinpoint with the ball. The offense just executed better with him. Did that sway the coaches to giving the rookie a shot at the starting job? Nope. They made excuses, sticking to the plan. Then as everybody now knows the plan blew up in their faces. Chicago started 1-3 with Glennon turning it over eight times in that span. Only after was the move to Trubisky made. Even then though they still couldn't get it right. (continue to next page)

Mitch Trubisky development was hogtied by bad practice management

People wonder why I've been such a critic of John Fox the past couple years. There are a number of reasons but perhaps the biggest? It's his utter lack of understanding on how to develop a quarterback. We'll set aside the fact that he's never done it successfully in his career. A career that spans one-and-a-half decades. It is this admission from offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains about how they set up Trubisky's practice schedule.

‘‘We just stretch [Trubisky] as much as we can every week because we learn a little bit more about him,’’ Loggains said. ‘‘Where it’s different from some other guys — [the Browns’] DeShone Kizer and [the Texans’] Deshaun Watson — those guys were competing for a starting job. Mitchell wasn’t. Mitchell was taking reps with the threes. Mitchell went four weeks without taking a snap with the ones [when Mike Glennon was the starting quarterback]. Not taking a snap with our offense for four straight weeks, [it’s] hard.’’

Fox is living up to his reputation

If anything this proves how convinced Fox was that Glennon was the guy to run the offense. That in itself is a horrifying thought. The fact he didn't have the foresight to at least give Mitch some reps with the first team and develop some chemistry? That only adds to the genuine concern people should have about Fox overseeing this mission beyond 2017. Part of the Bears' problems at quarterback is they don't ever have a feel for the moment. They always keep the wrong head coach with the wrong quarterback. They stuck Jay Cutler with Marc Trestman despite clear evidence Josh McCown was a better fit. Best of all they insisted to Lovie Smith that Rex Grossman could be his guy even though Rex was drafted by a different head coach. Never mind that Aaron Rodgers was there for the taking in 2005. It's the most important relationship in the NFL. Put it this way. If Fox couldn't get it done with Peyton Manning, why should anybody think he can do better with Trubisky? He's proving that with his handling thus far.