The Chicago Bears feel like a team that’s playing out the string at this point. They’re getting through the rest of the schedule before big changes come next year. Nowhere more so than at quarterback. Nick Foles is proving to be an expensive experiment for the team that didn’t work out. Mitch Trubisky? His year started out uneven and he was benched before the end of the third game.

So it’s hard to imagine he has much of a future with this team. Then again, this is the Bears we’re talking about. They’ve hung onto quarterbacks they probably should’ve dumped years prior several times. Is it really so crazy to think they could do the same with Trubisky?

Let’s be clear. There is a lot that needs to happen in order for such a scenario to take place. A lot. That being said, it’s a question several Bears fans have kept asking. Fans no doubt wondering whether Trubisky was ever really the problem with this broken offense. So here is a breakdown of the four key things that would have to happen to buy the quarterback returning in 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goRioQCuiiQ&t=1s&ab_channel=ChicagoBears

How Mitch Trubisky can extend his run in Chicago

#1 – He must finish the year strong

Nothing else happens unless Trubisky fulfills this first requirement. He’s been inconsistent since the start of 2019. So giving the Bears more of the same down the stretch won’t change anything. He not only has to play well over these final six games but really well. We’re talking a passer rating of 100+. That might seem like a high demand but it isn’t. Not a single defense the Bears are set to face down the stretch ranks higher than 13th against the pass. Most of them rank somewhere in the 20s range. It’s a stretch good quarterbacks should thrive in.

#2 – Ryan Pace would have to stay but Matt Nagy fired

If the Bears hired a new GM, there is no way they’d remotely consider giving Trubisky another chance even if he happened to finish well. Pace is the guy who drafted him. That personal investment would be crucial to making such a scenario happen. At the same time, ownership would have to do something pretty unprecedented. They’d have to fire Nagy and let Pace hire a third head coach. Something that just doesn’t happen in the NFL. One that would have to bring an offensive system that fits Trubisky’s talents. Something Nagy never managed or wanted to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEUkeuc-Ths&t=1s&ab_channel=ChicagoBears

#3 – Use the transition tag

Remember that Mitch Trubisky is a free agent next offseason. So the Bears will have to figure out a way to keep him. Most will say the franchise tag is their only option. That isn’t true. They can do what they did with Kyle Fuller two years ago with the transition tag. This basically turned Trubisky into a restricted free agent, allowing the team to match any offer made to him on the market. Odds are pretty good nobody will make a strong push to sign him. At least not in terms of heavy guarantees.

#4 – Load up on offensive linemen in the draft

This is the last and most crucial step. By retaining Trubisky another year, it puts off the idea of drafting a quarterback early in 2021. Some people may hate that, but it does bring one silver lining. It allows Pace to focus on the long-neglected offensive line. Chicago hasn’t spent a 1st round pick there since 2013. They desperately need blocking upgrades everywhere. Trubisky has shown he can be effective when he has protection and/or the running game is going well. Maybe this finally gets the formula right.