The reasoning behind the Chicago Bears signing Trevor Siemian seemed simple enough. He had a little more athleticism they were looking for compared to Nick Foles. It is required in the new offense Luke Getsy plans to run. Fair enough. However, people haven’t looked closely enough at why Siemian was explicitly chosen. There were plenty of other QBs available with strong athletic traits. Teddy Bridgewater, Tyrod Taylor, and Jacoby Brissett were such examples. Why Siemian?
Finding the answer centered around two key factors. One is that the veteran has a proven track record. He has 29 starts in his NFL career, posting an 81.2 passer rating in that time. That may not be starter-level productivity, but it’s solid for a backup. Then there is the background. Siemian was one of the few quarterbacks available with genuine experience in the offensive scheme the Bears are installing.
This cannot and should not be overlooked.
He arrived in 2015 as a 7th round pick of the Denver Broncos. Their head coach at the time was Gary Kubiak, a direct disciple of Mike Shanahan, who brought the wide-zone offense into NFL prominence. After spending his rookie year on the bench, Siemian had the unenviable task of replacing Peyton Manning as the starter in 2016. Things didn’t start well, with three interceptions and only one touchdown in his first two games. Then things settled as he threw for 2,957 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions across his remaining 12 starts.
It is fair to wonder how much more he might’ve progressed after that year. Sadly Kubiak suffered from health complications and was forced to step down the following year. A new coaching staff came in and changed the offense. Siemian lost his starting job and was gone after that year. He said one of the biggest reasons he came to Chicago was because he’d have a chance to play in that system again.
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Trevor Siemian can fill the Chase Daniel role for Justin Fields.
People may laugh at that comparison. They shouldn’t. Daniel may not have been a great backup when forced to play, but his influence on Mitch Trubisky can’t be ignored. In their two years together, the former Bears 1st round pick had 6,361 yards, 41 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, and an 88.7 passer rating in 29 games. That isn’t terrible, all things considered. Daniel’s ability to help navigate Matt Nagy’s convoluted offense likely played a key role.
That is what Trevor Siemian can do for Justin Fields. His deep understanding of the wide zone’s intricacies can prove invaluable to helping the Bears’ starting quarterback develop quickly in the offense. Everything from how to run bootlegs, where to look on play action, and understanding the terminology. Details matter in this system. When a quarterback can grasp them, there might not be a better offense to play in.
That makes Siemian’s signing all the more critical.
If he can help accelerate Fields’ development time by even a few percentage points, it makes the Bears’ aspirations for a quick turnaround that much better. If history is any indication, it may take the second-year quarterback a few weeks to get settled in. Once he does, though, the breakthrough should be right around the corner.
