Mitch Trubisky isn’t going to be returning after all despite frequent rumors to the contrary. The former #2 overall pick has found a new home according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. He will sign with the Buffalo Bills on a one-year deal. This sends the clear message that he will be a backup to Josh Allen. A rather anticlimactic end to his foray into free agency.
Despite being a former high draft pick and Pro Bowl alternate, it’s clearer than ever Trubisky’s market never materialized. One would think he almost certainly would’ve signed with a team that might give him an opportunity to compete for a starting job. Instead he opts for a backup role on a contender. Quite the fall from grace for a guy many once thought could be a star.
The Chicago Bears will move forward with Andy Dalton.
Former Bears' QB Mitchell Trubisky is signing with the Buffalo Bills, per @JFowlerESPN and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2021
Bills are giving former Bears' QB Mitchell Trubisky a one-year deal. He now becomes the back up to Josh Allen.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2021
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Brandon Beane on Mitchell Trubisky: "This is a reset for him. We don’t expect him to be here long term."
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) March 18, 2021
The plan ahead seems obvious enough. Trubisky will use Buffalo as a chance to get himself out of the limelight for a year. Hopefully learn a thing or two against a proven QB who is similar to him in playing style in Josh Allen. Then he’ll hit the market in 2022 with a plan to seek out a potential starting opportunity. Not a bad plan all things considered.
Either way, the marriage is over. Chicago gave it four years. There were some bright spots but in the end, Trubisky proved unequal to the task. Things never really clicked over him. It seems like it all fell apart after that playoff loss to Philadelphia. The swagger and confidence he played with early on seemed to fade away.
His legacy? A great kid who did all the right things but ultimately will be remembered for unmet expectations.
Bears will seek out their next Mitch Trubisky swing
For the time being, it will be the Andy Dalton show. The former three-time Pro Bowler was a backup in Dallas last season and played fairly well in place of the injured Dak Prescott. Chicago signed him to a one-year deal worth $10 million. His expectations are he will be the starter in 2021. The lingering question is whether the Bears have another swing in mind.
One mustn’t forget Mike Glennon said similar things back in 2017. Then a month later GM Ryan Pace traded up for Trubisky. Could another such move be coming. With the Bears sitting at the 20th overall pick, moving up may be their only option. That is if they wish to draft a quarterback early. Otherwise, it could be that 2021 is a reset year for them too.
Either way, one can only wish him the best of luck.
It’s hard not to wonder what might’ve happened if things had been different. Maybe if Mitch Trubisky had spent another year in college. Maybe if the Bears had hired somebody like Kyle Shanahan instead of keeping John Fox. The what-ifs are many. In the end, it doesn’t matter. One era ends and another begins. Chicago continues its long wait for that elusive franchise quarterback. When will it be their turn?