The Chicago Bears didn’t come right out as say it, but the indications are clear as day. They’re prepared to move on from Mitch Trubisky. It shouldn’t be a surprise. The former #2 overall pick had four seasons with the team. While he did make the playoffs twice, it wasn’t mostly thanks to him but the presence of a good defense and solid running game. He did just enough to not screw it up. Truth be told though, he didn’t live up to the hype.
Now the 26-year old will aim to continue his career elsewhere. It’s a matter of where that will end up being. People have speculated on possibilities for weeks since the season ended. San Francisco? Pittsburgh? There are plenty of possibilities. Based on recent rumors though, there may be two early contenders for his services.
The Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers.
https://twitter.com/nflrums/status/1354722631371649031
Obviously this source is a bit questionable, but both connections do make sense. Atlanta just got done hiring Arthur Smith as head coach. He was the offensive coordinator in Tennessee the past two years, during which time he resurrected the career of Ryan Tannehill. Anybody who watches Tannehill will immediately notice similarities to Trubisky in terms of talent. The mobility and strong prowess off play action.
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Carolina is much the same way. They made a living with their ground attack and play action in 2020 with new offensive coordinator Joe Brady. He tends to prefer mobile quarterbacks with Joe Burrow and Teddy Bridgewater being recent examples. Trubisky fits the profile of somebody he’d like to have on the roster.
Mitch Trubisky still deserves respect for his work
He didn’t pan out as hoped, but nobody can say he’s the worst quarterback in Bears history. Not even close. The kid had some really good moments over the years. That six-TD game against Tampa Bay is going to be a lasting memory for fans. That and being the first-ever in team history to reach 300 yards in a playoff game. Trubisky did everything that was asked of him. He put in the work, said the right things, and never caused a problem.
In the end, he just didn’t quite have what it takes to function at a high level in Chicago. Not consistently enough. Perhaps with more time that might change. He’s only 26. Maybe working with different coaches or putting in more time on film and practice could switch the light on. Bears fans certainly hope that doesn’t happen. Their worst fears are he ends up going somewhere else and finally turning it on.
A fitting chapter in the book of Bears quarterback nightmares.
All they can do at this point is forge ahead. Word is GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy are planning an aggressive approach to the markets this year. They are determined to finally get that elusive franchise guy under center for the Bears. Whether that is possible depends entirely on a mixture of how far they’re willing to go and how good their luck is. History isn’t on their side to this point.