The Chicago Bears aren’t really focused on 2021 just yet. They can’t be. The team is in the midst of a playoff chase. After winning two in a row, they now have a clear window into the postseason. Win both of their remaining games and then hope the Arizona Cardinals lose one of theirs. Not an easy path but far from impossible. Still, there are those who can’t help but wonder what happens after the season ends.
Nowhere is the conversation more heated than at quarterback. Up until three weeks ago, Mitch Trubisky was an afterthought. He’d had one last chance and blew it back in September. Then a twist of fate saw Nick Foles get hurt and the 26-year old get another shot. He’s thrown 8 TD and just 3 INTs since returning with the Bears offense scoring 30 points or more in three-straight games.
He is starting to look more like the player he was in 2018.
This has led to the inevitable question. Do the Bears dare consider bringing him back next year? Perhaps on some sort of one-year deal to see if this trend holds? Considering where the team is currently projected to pick in the draft? That might end up being their best option. That is unless they throw a mountain of cash at Dak Prescott or trade for Sam Darnold. Neither of which seems likely.
One person who seems to think this is the course they will take is draft insider Matt Miller. In his final column for Bleacher Report, he indicated his belief Chicago will bypass a quarterback and instead focus on surrounding Trubisky with as many weapons as possible. A last-ditch attempt to give him every chance to finally succeed.
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“Chicago Bears: WR Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
Will the Bears bring back Mitchell Trubisky after he’s looked solid in the last three weeks? Maybe, but only if a clear-cut better option isn’t on the table. More likely is that the Bears will finally try to surround him with a supporting cast that can help them evaluate him in his final year under contract.”
Chicago Bears best tread carefully with that pick
It’s apparent Miller is buying into what he is seeing from the Bears offense over the past few weeks. Their offensive line looks much more cohesive and Trubisky has played well thanks in large part to a renewed focus on running the football. In this context, it would make some sense to add another explosive weapon. Somebody who can team with Darnell Mooney as a vertical threat. Moore fits that profile.
In just eight games he has produced 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns. He has the kind of speed and quickness that makes NFL coaches drool. He can be lined up all over the place, creating mismatches. A perfect toy for this coaching staff under Matt Nagy. The problem is he is only 5’9. Quite short for a wide receiver on the pro level. What makes it even more questionable is the Chicago Bears passed on a number of quality offensive tackles to take him.
The truth is nobody can predict what will happen.
Chicago has two games to play. Losing one of them puts this entire discussion into a different light. It will mean the Bears finish 8-8 for the second-straight year. This after a 5-1 start. Can ownership justify bringing everybody back under those conditions? It doesn’t feel that way. In which case the idea of Trubisky getting another shot becomes pointless.