A lot of people seem pretty confident that Mitch Trubisky has done all he needs to do in order to secure another year in Chicago as the Bears’ starting quarterback. That might be a bit premature. Trubisky has enjoyed a resurgence over the past month but he’s had help. The Bears have faced a slew of underwhelming defenses in that time. One could argue the Chicago Bears haven’t seen him truly get tested yet.
That will change on Sunday. The Green Bay Packers aren’t a great defensive team but they are a good one. They’re the best team in the NFC and one that Trubisky has only beaten once in his career. This is a must-win game for Chicago. If they lose, they’d need the Los Angeles Rams to beat Arizona and the Rams will play their game with their starting QB, their top two running backs, and possibly their top receiver out.
In other words, a lot of pressure will be on Trubisky.
He can’t rely on the Bears defense to save him this time. Green Bay hung 34 points on them in the last meeting just over a month ago. To beat Aaron Rodgers, they will have to score. That means Trubisky has to play a lot better than he did in the first game which featured two interceptions and a lost fumble for a touchdown. If the results are similar? It could undo all the goodwill he’s managed to build up the previous four games.
This might explain why some insiders aren’t necessarily convinced his return is assured. John Clayton of the Washington Post is one of them. He provided a list of noteworthy QBs he feels will be available this offseason and the teams they’ll likely end up with. Trubisky does not return to Chicago in his eyes. Instead, the Bears decide to bring back a hometown boy.
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“Chicago Bears: Jimmy Garoppolo
Mitchell Trubisky’s play in recent weeks could convince the Bears to keep him, particularly if they make the playoffs. But he will be a free agent, and they won’t pay a ton of money to bring him back. Garoppolo has proved to be a very good game manager when healthy and could be available for a decent price if he’s cut by San Francisco, which could also make him available in a trade.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnzNbHxksgc&ab_channel=SportsProductions
Chicago Bears pursuit of Garoppolo would be about price
The connection to Garoppolo is fairly obvious. He’s a native of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and went to college at Eastern Illinois. He grew up in the Bears’ backyard. Bringing him home to start for the team would be a fun story. The problem is two-fold. How much it would cost to get him and whether they can trust his ability to stay healthy.
Garoppolo was traded to San Francisco midway through 2017. Since then he’s endured a string of frustrating injuries. In 2018, he tore his ACL after just three starts. A year later he managed to play the entire season, throwing 27 touchdowns to 13 interceptions and leading San Francisco to the Super Bowl. Then this year he ended up on Injured Reserve with a nagging ankle problem.
People are questioning whether his body can handle the NFL full-time.
Then there is the contract. Garoppolo will carry a cap hit of $26.9 million in 2021. The odds are a team won’t be trading for that. The Chicago Bears can’t afford to given their own cap issues. However, San Francisco could cut him and save $24.1 million with minimal dead money. Some feel the team could go hunting for a new QB this offseason due to that exit window.
If he’s cut, the Bears would be able to approach him about a deal that is more team-friendly. Is this the ideal solution for Chicago? Probably not but it’s one that could be on the table.