This article isn't about your feelings, my feelings or Mitch Trubisky's feelings. It is about an organization that has finished last, or second to last, in the NFC North five out of the last six years.
2019 was filled with optimism in Chicago. Fans expected a repeat of the 12-4 record that was good enough to win the division in 2018, instead they got an 8-8 season and a ton of questions surrounding their young quarterback.
- Will Mitch start in 2020?
- Should the Bears pick up his fifth-year option?
- Is he good enough to be considered the quarterback of the future?
If you asked me, today, the answer to all three questions would be a hard "no." However, if you told me the Chicago Bears were going to sign Philip Rivers to a two-year contract, I would be intrigued.
Rivers Is The Answer
Recent reports indicate Rivers will not be returning to the Chargers in 2020. He has reportedly moved back to Florida to be closer to his family, so fans are predicting he will sign with a Florida team. That might be a safe bet except for one thing, they all suck. Miami was 5-11 while Tampa Bay was 7-9. Neither of these teams have any chance to make it to the Super Bowl anytime soon, with or without Rivers. The Jaguars were 6-10 and traded away their best player. They are in the same boat.
Philip knows this, therefore if he's still hunting for the Lombardi Trophy he should sign with Chicago.
Rivers threw for 4,615 yards with 23 touchdowns in 2019. The yardage total is the fourth highest of his career but the touchdowns were lagging behind a bit.
Trubisky threw for 3,183 yards and 17 touchdowns. That is roughly 1,500 yards and six touchdowns less than Rivers. (Many also considered it a down year for Rivers because he threw 20 interceptions which is tied for the second highest of his career)
Stats aside, Rivers simply has the toughness, grit and tenacity to win over Chicago and lead the Bears. He has been sacked 49, 40 and 38 times in a season, and he has also started every single game for 14 straight years. Since being named the starter in 2005, Rivers hasn't missed a game. He has also thrown for 4,000+ yards every season since 2012. Jay Cutler threw for 4,000+ yards once in his career ... in Denver.
It should be clear that Rivers possesses every trait the Chicago Bears need in a starting quarterback other than youth. However, his age could be leveraged.
Mitch Trubisky Needs A Mentor
The most notable flaw Trubisky had coming out of college was a lack of experience in big games. Since coming to Chicago, his only competition has been Mike Glennon and Chase Daniel. The word "competition" is used very loosely in that sentence because Glennon and Daniel aren’t very good. They are perennial backups and should have no business competing with a #2 overall pick. Unfortunately though, Trubisky hasn't done enough to widen the talent gap between himself and those clowns. He also played piss poor in 2019 against teams that were actually good.
- What if Trubisky had a proven veteran to show him the way?
- What if there was an 8x Pro Bowler he could ask questions to each day?
- What if Trubisky was willing to take a back seat to Rivers to further develop and learn for the 2020 season?
Well my friends, that would be a recipe for success.
Screw Andy Dalton. Screw Nick Foles. Screw Teddy Bridgewater.
They will all come overpriced and won't provide the level of expertise, or talent, that Rivers possesses. The Bears would end up paying decent money just to find out if they are truly better than Trubisky or not.
Time To Let Pride Go
If Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy are serious about doing whatever it takes to make Chicago a contender they will heavily explore signing Rivers. Self-pride is a tough mirror to face, but the Bears need to take note on what Tennessee did and sit their #2 pick in favor of someone who can win games.
The result could be a wildly successful 2020 with Rivers at the helm, then a transitional year in 2021 back to Trubisky who should then possess the necessary experience, and mentoring, needed to carry Chicago into the future. If Rivers ends up really good and Trubisky walks, so be it.
If the Bears objectively analyze this, and the ticking clock on Mack's prime, they will pursue Philip Rivers for 2020.
If they do, a return to the playoffs is imminent and Chicago's defense is just as good as San Francisco's. #SuperBowl2020
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