Mitch Trubisky is already flirting with territory no Chicago Bears quarterback has touched in history. If the season continues to unfold as it has, the 24-year old could become the first ever to throw for 4,000 yards and first to ever throw for 30 touchdowns in a Bears uniform. Keep in mind the Bears have been around since the 1920s. To say that nobody has accomplished a feat that has become rather routine these days paints a clear picture.
However, many fans remain reluctant to buy in. They keep seeking out new excuses. First it was his lack of experience. Now it’s because he’s not hitting enough of his deep throws to open receivers. This despite the clear indications that Trubisky is a playmaker. A young one who’s still learning sure, but a playmaker nonetheless.
Is it possible that many of these people are the diehard crowd who remain loyal to Jay Cutler? Many to this day proclaim he was given a raw deal in Chicago and is the greatest quarterback in franchise history. There’s no doubt the man was a warrior and had some great success for the Bears at times. However, hasn’t Trubisky already surpassed him?
Let’s explore.
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The Numbers
Jay Cutler:
- 2020 completions
- 3271 attempts
- 61.8 completion percentage
- 23443 yards
- 154 touchdowns
- 109 interceptions
- 229.8 yards per game
- 85.2 passer rating
- 12 rushing yards per game
- 6 rushing touchdowns
Mitch Trubisky:
- 351 completions
- 570 attempts
- 61.6
- 4007 yards
- 22 touchdowns
- 13 interceptions
- 210.9 yards per game
- 86.1 passer rating
- 28.6 rushing yards per game
- 4 rushing touchdowns
A lot of things factor into this. For starters, Trubisky has a clear advantage in touchdown-to-interception ratio. His mark is at 1.69-to-1 where Cutler’s was 1.41-to-1. Trubisky has a slightly better career passer rating while Cutler edges him in both completion percentage and passing yards per game. So one could call it relatively even.
The separation comes at the most underrated part of a quarterback’s game: their legs. Trubisky is far and away the superior quarterback in this regard. He more than doubles Cutler’s rushing yards per game and already has four rushing touchdowns in 19 career games. Cutler had six in 102. It’s not even a comparison.
Throw in the fact that Trubisky’s rookie year accounts for 36.8% of his totals to this point while Cutler was in his prime throughout his run? It’s fair to surmise who the superior quarterback is. Of course, that could change. Trubisky could regress over the next few months. However, based on the current trend? He could distance himself from Cutty even more.
The Teammate
Being a good quarterback is not just about statistics. It’s about leadership and perception in the community. Fair or not, lots of responsibility is heaped on the position because of its importance. Players are expected to carry it with a certain degree of pride. That means doing whatever it takes off the field to make the team better on it.
In this regard, there is also a significant difference. While nobody should say Cutler was a terrible person, he had his fair share of enemies. Several former teammates have stated quite candidly that he could be a jerk, enigmatic, surly, and hard to get along with. He was an acquired taste and many could never warm up to.
Good luck finding anybody like that in regards to Trubisky. The young man has created quite a following of current and former teammates who love him. It was true in high school, it was true in college and it’s true with the Bears. Just look at what Prince Amukamara, a cornerback, had to say when he signed his new contract with the team back in spring.
“I think if guys came here to win, then yeah, the quarterback should definitely be the first thing that you look at. Mitch was definitely one of mine…
…I’m sure some people saw, but even when Mitch was the back-up, Mitch was staying after practice and always working hard and you love seeing that in a quarterback, especially a back-up. I’ve always just saw greatness in him ever since then. I think this year he gets to really show it.”
They were saying stuff like that about him before he’d ever done anything of significance. That’s how much he got them to believe it was he was preaching. He’d have their back if they had his. This is not to say Cutler wasn’t a leader, but he was never that animated or that active in that part of his job.
The Winner
As always this will be the decisive statistic. Currently, Cutler can say he holds the edge. He’s 51-51 in his career as a Bears starter with a division title in 2010 and a berth in the NFC championship. However, that’s been the limit of his accomplishment. One playoff trip and one playoff win in eight seasons. Trubisky is on course to match the first part of that at least.
The Bears are 4-3 and lead the NFC North with the halfway point of 2018 approaching. He’s also a big reason for their success with the Bears scoring an average of 25.71 points per game. Cutler managed just 20.87 during his big run. In fairness, he didn’t have the best weaponry that year but then again even when he had good pieces around him he failed to consistently produce.
All things considered, the arguments of keeping Cutler ahead of Trubisky are disappearing fast. If the young quarterback reaches those statistical milestones and/or makes the playoffs, he’ll have already erased a huge chunk of Cutler’s legacy. To do so in such a short time says a lot about the player.
