All Chicago Bears fans know for sure is this. Mitch Trubisky will be on the roster come training camp in 2020 and the team expects him to remain the starter. Not a total shock given what they have invested in the 25-year old and the fact he still has a cheap year left on his rookie contract. Might as well make use of it to see if he can yet flip that switch that has remained elusive for three years now. The big question is whether they’ll let him stay comfortable in that role.
Almost anybody with common sense is calling on GM Ryan Pace to do the smart thing and bring in some competition. Most would prefer one of the big names like a Tom Brady or a Cam Newton. Why bother with a preamble? Just move on. That doesn’t feel possible. However, there is some potential middle ground options that could make sense for them if the timing is right.
Former quarterback and current analyst Chris Simms believes the Bears have to go in this direction. If it were his choice, the solution is an obvious one. This in the form of Cincinnati Bengals veteran Andy Dalton.
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Andy Dalton could be a Tannehill to Mitch Trubisky
The obvious comparison in this regard is Ryan Tannehill. The Tennessee Titans took a calculated risk when they traded for the Miami Dolphins former 1st round pick this past offseason. He became a backup to Marcus Mariota but was eventually elevated to starter. He turned the fortunes of the team around almost instantly and now have them in the playoffs, knocking off the defending champion New England Patriots in the wild card round.
Could Dalton be that guy for Chicago?
Hard to say. He’s a smart, capable veteran who has shown he can be effective when given pieces to work with. He had practically nothing this season in Cincinnati and still managed to throw for almost 3,500 yards. It’s worth mentioning that of the five years the Bengals were able to field a top 10 defense with Dalton at quarterback, they made the playoffs four times. So he knows how to keep a train on the tracks.
It’s no secret the Bengals are going to draft Joe Burrow out of LSU at #1 overall this coming April. That means Dalton’s time in Cincinnati is at an end. They will likely try to trade him but at that point his value won’t be what it was a few months ago. They could very well just cut him. That would be the perfect time for the Bears to pounce.
