The Chicago Bears top five quarterback conversation is something they haven’t had in a long time. Prior to drafting Mitch Trubisky #2 overall last year, it hadn’t been done in Chicago for 35 years. People aren’t sure what to expect at this point. It was a completely different league in the 1980s with different levels of expectations.
That begs the question. In their history, the Bears have drafted a top five QB who actually started more than one year for them three times. It would be interesting to examine what happened when each of those players went from their first year as the primary starter to their second. Perhaps this can offer a glimpse of what might be coming. Not just for Trubisky but also for the team.
Going back through the history books, there were a number of revelations. Some that might not thrill fans and others that were more than encouraging. This is not to say Trubisky will follow the same path, but there are definite trends in play that might be hard for him to break.
Chicago Bears top 5 quarterback from Year 1 to Year 2
Sid Luckman
- 1939: 23-of-51, 636 yards, 5 TDs, 4 INTs (8-3 record)
- 1940: 48-of-105, 941 yards, 4 TDs, 9 INTs (9-3 record and NFL champs)
Johnny Lujack
- 1949: 162-of-312, 2,658 yards, 23 TDs, 22 INTs (9-3 record)
- 1950: 121-of-254, 1,731 yards, 4 TDs, 21 INTs (9-3 record)
Jim McMahon
- 1982: 120-of-210, 1,501 yards, 9 TDs, 7 INTs (3-4 record)
- 1983: 175-of-295, 2,184 yards, 12 TDs, 13 INTs (7-6 record)
The revelations are rather surprising for a number of reasons. Each of the quarterbacks experienced two results, all of them similar to each other. They all actually had worse seasons in their second years from a statistical point of view, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns. However, at the same time, their teams either matched or improved their records from the previous year.
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Also of note? They all went on to substantially improve in the statistical category after that. Luckman became an All-Pro and future Hall of Famer. Lujack improved his efficiency the next year before abruptly retiring. McMahon has his two best seasons in Chicago in 1984 and 1985. Long story short? It’s critical that fans not jump on Mitch Trubisky if he doesn’t have some sort of Pro Bowl year in 2018.
Despite the new weapons, it’s also a totally new system and he’s still relatively inexperienced. Even with last year, he’s only started 25 games between college and the NFL. It takes time, patience and hard work to thrive at that position. It’s okay to expect improvement, but tap the breaks on any sort of MVP dreams.
