The Mitch Trubisky era is at an end after just over three seasons. The Chicago Bears will move forward with Nick Foles at quarterback. While some are excited about the start of a new chapter, others can’t help but wonder about the what-ifs. This team was so close. So close to finally landing a legitimate superstar quarterback in 2017. Patrick Mahomes was right there. All they had to do was take the risk.
GM Ryan Pace refused. He went with his guy in Trubisky, feeling he could become the Bears’ version of Drew Brees. For a time in 2018, it looked like he might be right. Sadly the young quarterback never managed to take that next step. It seemed rather fitting when Mahomes came to Chicago at the end of last season and delivered a decisive 26-3 rout.
Yet even three years later, the stories from that fateful draft keep coming out. Kaylyn Kahler of Bleacher Report discovered new and shocking details about the entire process. Let’s start with the obvious question. Why Trubisky?
“A source familiar with the Bears’ draft believes Pace viewed Trubisky as the secure, comfortable choice with the least risk involved. Bears brass recognized that if Mahomes hit his potential, he would be the better player, but they believed it was much more likely that Trubisky would hit his potential. Trubisky was the prospect with the lowest ceiling and the highest floor.”
Put simply, the Bears played it safe. Everybody who follows the NFL knows that rarely works out well for a team.
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It gets worse on the Patrick Mahomes end though
By now people know that Mahomes was the #2 quarterback on the Bears’ board. They loved his swagger and obvious upside. Where it starts to look really bad though is in how they handled the player himself. Apparently, the Bears were so committed to hiding their interest in Trubisky, they knowingly deceived the Texas Tech star.
“To pile on to the draft regret, league sources say that sometime in early March of that year, the Bears told Mahomes that he was their top quarterback in the class, and gave Mahomes the strong presumption they would take him. This further explains why Mahomes counted to 10 on his fingers after passing for a touchdown at Soldier Field last season. “10” for his draft position, a message to the team who passed on their “top quarterback.” The Bears’ interest in Mahomes was real, but the conversation with Mahomes that he was their top QB may have been a smokescreen to throw people off the scent of their actual top quarterback.”
Yikes. It’s no wonder Mahomes carried such a chip on his shoulder by the time he started playing in the NFL. He wanted to show teams like the Bears they made a huge mistake. Now he’s a league MVP and a Super Bowl champion. Pace isn’t likely to ever live that decision down.