Mitch Trubisky, contrary to popular myth, never came in and proclaimed himself the guy who would solve the vexing Chicago Bears quarterbacks woes. He promised he would work hard every day and play hard in every game. He'd strive all the time to get better. To his credit, he's fulfilled that part of the bargain. Trubisky stayed out of trouble, he's done everything asked of him by his teammates and his coaches. Unfortunately, as the NFL has proven so many times in the past?
Sometimes that just isn't enough.
People have tried to understand what separates the good quarterbacks from everybody else for almost a century. Even today they struggle with it. The truth is the best ones see everything in slow motion and are constantly able to reinvent themselves as defenses adapt to them. Opponents have worked harder to take away what Trubisky does best this year and the results are hard to deny. His future is more in question than ever before.
So what can Bears fans expect? Here are the most pressing questions that need answering with 10 games left in the season.
Mitch Trubisky - Answering the key questions:
Will he somehow turn things around?
That's hard to say given the slump he's been in. However, there is a reason for optimism. Much of the upcoming Bears schedule is looking pretty lenient against quarterbacks lately. The Chargers have the 28th defense in yards allowed per pass. After that four of their next five games will be played against opponents with poor pass defenses: Philadelphia (27th), Detroit twice (30th), and New York (23rd). Sometimes all a QB needs to snap out of his funk is to string a few good games together. This looming stretch might do it.
Will they bench him for Chase Daniel?
So what happens if Mitch delivers another clunker against the Chargers? Will the Bears pull the plug and start Chase Daniel in hopes he might jumpstart the offense? That doesn't feel likely. For better or worse, the Bears have to see this thing through to the end. They've invested a lot of time and money into Trubisky. The best thing for them is to use every game possible this season to make absolutely sure that he isn't the guy. This way they'll have a definitive course of action when the time arrives to make a change.
Will they trade for a veteran at the upcoming deadline?
This is certainly a fun topic to discuss with the trade deadline less than a week away (October 29th). There appear to be a few interesting names available including Eli Manning and Marcus Mariota among others. However, trading for quarterbacks is complicated and often expensive. Right now the Bears aren't in a position to deliver such a bold move. They're already down their 1st, 3rd, and 4th round picks in 2020. Throwing away one or two more for a QB that would be a long shot to solve the problem isn't smart business. While anything is possible, this feels like a pipe dream.
Who is the most likely option for a replacement/competition in 2020?
This is a far more relevant question. If the Bears do seek QB help, it will likely be during the 2020 offseason. With two 2nd round picks at their disposal, one could be used to secure a possible insurance policy against Trubisky. Or perhaps even direct competition. However, given the low hit rate on quarterbacks in that area of the draft, the team may decide to try their luck in free agency.
The good news is 2020 looks like it might be a great year for this. Several notable names have expiring contracts. Among them include Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota, and Jameis Winston. Now the odds of all those guys actually reaching the open market are remoted. However, the sheer volume guarantees at least a couple will. The most likely at this point being Mariota and Bridgewater.
Mariota has deep connections to Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich and would fit well in this offensive system. Bridgewater has experienced a career revival in New Orleans, leading the team to a 5-0 record in place of the injured Brees. If Chicago wanted a smart leader who protected the football, they could do a lot worse. It would come down to finding enough money to pay them.
The Bears had a lot of success with the last wide open competition they held, which landed them Eddy Pineiro. Why not try again at the most important position?
