Nobody knows for sure what the Chicago Bears are planning to do at quarterback. All they know at this point is Nick Foles has arrived and either he or Mitch Trubisky will be the starter come opening day in September. A lot of people already think it's a foregone conclusion. That GM Ryan Pace didn't bring Foles in at $20 million for the season to be a backup. They expect him to take the job.
Obviously the Bears haven't come out and said that, but it's hard not to follow the breadcrumbs. To say nothing of the rumor that popped up a week ago that they have quietly been shopping Trubisky around the league. If this is true, then it's clear what the plan is. Rather than have a quarterback controversy, they want to start fresh. Foles would be the guy and Trubisky can move forward with his career elsewhere.
This has led some to express urgency. The Bears have to try dealing him before the draft. Otherwise, there won't be any vacant spots left that teams are interested in filling. While there is a logic in this thinking, there is also good reasons for Pace to wait things out.
Bears might benefit from hanging on to Mitch Trubisky
They say that perception is reality in the NFL. Right now, Trubisky is perceived as a failed #2 overall pick. That said, it's important to remember he's played well at times in his career. He went to a Pro Bowl in 2018 and came a missed field goal away from winning a playoff game. In the right situation, a team might look at that and think he's worth a calculated risk.
Teams have often benefited by hanging on to talented quarterbacks later into an offseason or even the regular season. Here are a few examples.
- 1994: Broncos get 4th round pick for Tommy Maddox (August)
- 2006: Lions get 3rd round pick for Joey Harrington (May)
- 2011: Bengals get 1st and 2nd round picks for Carson Palmer (October)
- 2016: Eagles gets 1st and 4th round picks for Sam Bradford (September)
Injuries happen all the time in the NFL. All it takes is one player in the right situation to go down and suddenly that team is scrambling for answers. Having Trubisky available at that point might yield something for the Bears. The worst-case scenario is the trade doesn't happen and they simply keep him as a backup for the year.
