Confidence in Mitch Trubisky still seems abnormally high these days. A diehard section of the Chicago Bears fan base still hold out hope and belief that the fourth-year QB is going to turn the corner. This because he’s continued to show the flashes that he can be really good the past two years. Yet how much longer can the team afford to wait?
GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy are feeling the heat after a massively disappointing 8-8 season in 2019. If the Bears fail to make the playoffs again this year, it will be the fifth time in six seasons for Pace. Something he can’t blame on rebuilding. With Nagy being his handpicked coach and not being able to elevate the offense, he’s likely out as well. This is why the trade for Nick Foles was made.
One person who hopes Trubisky still pulls this out though is Rodney Harrison.
The two-time All-Pro safety and two-time Super Bowl champion played in the NFL for a long time. He understands the league better than most. He told JJ Stankevitz before the Under Center Podcast the stark reality Trubisky faces.
“If he doesn’t start this year, and I’m going to tell you something — this is gonna happen, this is gonna play out. He’ll never start again. He’ll be a career backup. He’ll be a career backup and he’ll be considered one of the (NFL’s) biggest busts.”
That take caught me off guard at first, maybe because we’ve been so focused on Trubisky’s immediate future. Then Harrison added this:
“Let me tell you something,” he said. “I’m an expert on quarterback busts, bad quarterbacks because I played with Ryan Leaf.”
Mitch Trubisky would be an ultra-rare person if started again
What Harrison says is true. It is exceedingly rare, in fact almost impossible for quarterbacks who flamed out with their original teams after four seasons to find success elsewhere. Here is every top 5 pick who fits that description since the merger in 1970.
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- Jack Thompson
- Art Schlichter
- Jeff George
- Rick Mirer
- Heath Shuler
- Kerry Collins
- Ryan Leaf
- Akili Smith
- Joey Harrington
- JaMarcus Russell
- Mark Sanchez
- Robert Griffin III
Of the names on that list, only George and Collins managed to pull the nose up to some degree after leaving their original teams. George had a couple of nice seasons with the Raiders and Vikings but was largely a journeyman. Collins was a journeyman as well but did manage to reach a Super Bowl with the Giants in 2000. He is easily the biggest success story of that group. Everyone else? Yikes.
So yeah. Trubisky better bring everything he has to this competition because if Foles wins? He may never get to play meaningful snaps in the NFL again. Not without divine intervention.