Mitch Trubisky had a chance to at least go out on a high note in the season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. While he did make enough plays to win the game, nothing about his performance removed the growing calls for the Chicago Bears to step up their search for a replacement. Or at least competition. That is where the 2020 offseason must start. Yes they have other issues to deal with, but none of it matters if they can’t get quarterback fixed.
Trubisky went 26-of-37 on the day for 207 yards. No touchdowns or interceptions. That’s about as bland as it gets. However, it gets much worse when one is reminded that he did this against mostly backups on the Vikings defense. He struggled to find any sort of rhythm all game and continued his hopelessness in the red zone. Many fans have seen enough and it would appear several former Bears are joining in that chorus.
After watching the game for NBC Sports Chicago, Alex Brown, Matt Forte, and Olin Kreutz all discussed the Bears quarterback and how they see him at this point. None of their words reflected well on the 25-year old.
Brown:
“He’s a quarterback that you need to surround him with talent in order for that team to win. I don’t think he makes guys better and I don’t want that guy as my quarterback if I am building my team around the quarterback position.”
Forte:
“You’re not going to put him out there and say ‘Go win the game.’ That’s not the guy. In the grand scheme of things, Mitch is a serviceable backup in the NFL. I don’t think he’s a starter.”
Kreutz:
“After this year you feel like he doesn’t have it. When you watched him play, you just don’t… He doesn’t have good awareness in the pocket. He doesn’t process information well right now.”
Mitch Trubisky had his chances and wasted them
Trubisky had a good year in 2018. He was a Pro Bowl alternate and finished with a nice passer rating. However, that season didn’t involve much in the way of expectations. People thought the Bears might be good, but nobody expected 12-4. So when 2019 arrived, that was no longer the case. Everybody saw them as a contender and thus the pressure was placed squarely on Trubisky’s shoulders. He couldn’t expect the defense to set records in takeaways as they had last year. He needed to step up.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
He did not.
Trubisky finishes his year with fewer passing yards, fewer touchdowns, and a lower completion percentage than he did last season. All this while many of the same concerns that percolated during that time still haven’t gone away. He doesn’t see the field any better than last year and his horrible knack for airmailing open receivers remains a problem. Trubisky has been in the NFL for three years now. Nobody can pull the experience card anymore. It’s possible that this is who he is.
Those guys are correct. If put in a good situation, he’s somebody you can win with. However, if you have to lean on him to do more? It’s not going to happen.
