The writing is on the wall for Mitch Trubisky in Chicago, but what if the Bears quarterback plays well in 2020?
It seems likely that 2020 will be Mitch Trubisky‘s final year as a member of the Chicago Bears after the former second overall pick hasn’t done what the franchise was hoping for.
Trubisky had one season of action at North Carolina and did enough to be considered, by some, the best quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft. His personal shortcomings on the field look worse when you consider the Bears passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson when they took him second overall. Not only did the Bears select Trubisky with the number two overall pick, but they traded up to do so, making the selection sting even more so for Bears fans.
While Trubisky hasn’t been clutch throughout his career, he has shown strong flashes of potential and as recently as the 2018 season. That year saw the Bears quarterback throw for 3,223 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while adding 421 yards and three touchdowns with his legs. Pro Bowls might not be important to people, but Trubisky’s efforts that year landed him in the Pro Bowl. He also was a big part in getting that Bears team an NFC North title, their first since the 2010 season.
Yes, the Bears defense was absolutely dominant that year, but Trubisky didn’t hurt the team. Even this past year, he wasn’t that bad. But, again, he wasn’t Patrick Maholmes or DeShaun Watson.
The Bears acquired Nick Foles this offseason in a trade with the Jaguars and it’s become a pretty popular thought that Foles will win the job from Trubisky and be the Bears quarterback for the majority of the 2020 season. Foles has a great story and all, but he’s proven to not really be anything more than a flashy backup, so Bears fans might be disappointed when they realize Trubisky is actually the better option between the two.
Even if Foles does play well this season, the Bears more than likely will draft a quarterback early in the 2021 NFL Draft. What if, however, Trubisky actually steps up and plays like he did in 2018? Would that be enough to save his job in Chicago?
What would it take for Mitch Trubisky to prove himself to the Bears?
It’s not unfathomable to think that Trubisky could have a good season, especially if he wins the job this summer and can keep it throughout the course of the season. He isn’t a slouch at the position and has the ability to both throw the ball well and run with it as well. His legs were a big part of why he and that Bears offense was so fun to watch in 2018 and unsurprisingly enough, his rushing numbers were down last year from what they were in 2018.
If Trubisky plays well in 2020, the team already declined his fifth-year option, so a big-time contract is out the window. The Bears won’t make the mistake of inking him to a large deal only to have him disappoint, so at best, he’d get a one-year prove-it deal from the team who drafted him.
The best bet for Trubisky in a scenario where he plays really well is that another team needs a starting quarterback enough and signs him to a decent contract. It hasn’t been a great ending for quarterbacks who didn’t have their fifth-year options picked up, as only Blaine Gabbert has gone on to make more than ten starts and has been a perennial backup since things didn’t work out in Jacksonville.
Mitch Trubisky needs to have a good season in 2020 if he wants to remain in Chicago and even then, it doesn’t seem realistic for him to stay in the Windy City moving forward.