Getty QB Mitchell Trubisky of the Chicago Bears.
Could the Chicago Bears really trade trade former second overall pick Mitchell Trubisky? After the Bears traded their fourth round comp pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in order to acquire veteran quarterback Nick Foles, rumors began to swirl that the team could trade Trubisky, who has started 41 games for the Bears over his first three seasons.
Jeff Hughes of DaBearsBlog and Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron have been hinting that a Trbisky trade could go down for the past several weeks. Zimmerman thinks the Bears could get a conditional sixth-round draft pick for Trubisky at best based on the recent acquisition of Kyle Allen by the Washington Redskins.
@ChicagoBearsMB If Kyle Allen gets a 5, I would think you could get a 6 for Mitch or at least a conditional in 2021.
But would Bears general manager Ryan Pace actually get rid of the young quarterback he gave so much up to acquire? It’s highly unlikely Mitch Trubisky plays anywhere but Chicago in 2020, and here are three reasons why.
1. Pace Will Give Trubisky One Last Chance to Beat Out Nick Foles
Pace bet the farm on Trubisky when he picked him over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, both of whom had more collegiate experience. To move up just one slot to snag Trubisky in the 2017 NFL Draft, Pace sent the San Francisco 49ers the No. 3 overall pick, as well as the 67th and 111th picks that year, along with a 2018 third-round pick (No. 70). Instead of trading him away, it’s far more likely Pace will let Trubisky fight for the starting job one last time.
Trubisky has never been challenged directly by another quarterback before. A mind-numbingly bad Mike Glennon was benched after just four games into the 2017 season, and Trubisky took over from there. Chase Daniel followed as the clear cut back up, and it has been Trubisky at the steering wheel ever since. It’s possible the acquisition of Foles brings something out in Trubisky — a competitive spark of sorts. As long as there’s a chance Trubisky could still be the guy, Pace will ride it out.
2. Foles is the Quintessential Back Up and Will Support Trubisky
On ESPN’s Waddle and Silvy podcast, NFL analyst Mike Greenberg said he thinks Foles is a perfect fit for Chicago and the team’s current quarterback situation. “Nick Foles is the perfect person, because of his personality and … the way he is, to come in there and be supportive … and helpful towards a young quarterback who really needs that,” Greenberg said Friday.
Foles, who is 31-years-old, has a guaranteed $21 million remaining on his contract that the Bears have agreed to pay. That’s a lot for a backup quarterback, but he’ll also serve as a valuable insurance policy. The Bears paid Chase Daniel $10 million to start three games in two seasons, so paying Foles (a Super Bowl MVP) $21 million for three years of work doesn’t seem too outlandish.
If Trubisky succeeds and plays better, the Bears and Pace finally have assurance he’s their guy moving forward. If Mitch bombs and Foles comes in, he’ll be a cheap starter. Regardless, Foles has impeachable character, and he will be competitive while also remaining 100 percent supportive of his teammates, including Trubisky of he should win the job.
3. There’s Simply No Trade Market For Mitch
Perhaps the primary reason it seems unlikely Pace would trade Trubisky is because there’s just no market for the fourth-year quarterback. When someone suggested to Zimmerman that the New England Patriots, who need a quarterback after losing Tom Brady to the Bucs in free agency, could be interested in a possible trade for Mitch, Zimmerman noted he didn’t see Trubisky as a good fit in New England. “Belichick likes really cerebral QBs,” Zimmerman tweeted.
@d_rup34 @GoatJam32610656 I don’t think they can get a 3 for Mitch. I also can’t see Belichick having interest in Mitch. Belichick likes really cerebral QBs.
It’s also quite likely Trubisky’s regression in 2019 has left him with few interested potential trade partners this offseason. If he doesn’t step up and beat out Foles, however, it remains likely that this season with the Bears will be Trubisky’s last.
READ NEXT: NFL Analyst Has Extremely Bold Prediction for This Bears QB