Getty Head coach Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears fist bumps QB Mitchell Trubisky
Adam Schefter is one of the NFL’s top insiders, so when he makes a statement about a player or a team, it’s worth listening to. Just prior to Sunday’s Week 17 action starting, Schefter shared the latest info he has on the future of Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
“In the eyes of some NFL executives, Trubisky recently has played some of the best football of his career, making a case as to why Chicago will need to consider re-signing him,” Schefter wrote, also noting that should Trubisky and the Bears win their two remaining games and earn a playoff berth, it could cement Trubisky’s status in Chicago even further.
Well, Trubisky and the Bears easily handled the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, moving to 8-7 on the season and sliding into the seventh and final Wild Card slot in the NFC. Chicago now controls its own playoff destiny, and with a win next week against the Green Bay Packers and/or another Arizona Cardinals loss, it can sneak into the playoffs for the second time in three seasons under Matt Nagy. Trubisky in particular has been garnering a great deal of attention for his play of late, and if there’s any truth to Schefter’s latest report, 2021 is already shaping up to be an interesting season for the Bears.
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Schefter on Trubisky’s Future: ‘Chicago Will Have to Consider Bringing Him Back’
Over his last five games, since taking over for Nick Foles Week 12, Trubisky has completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 1,243 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. The Bears are 3-2 in that time, and they can make the playoffs with one more win to close out the season.
Here’s what Schefter said about what Trubisky’s recent success could mean for the team:
“One NFL executive told ESPN this week that, with the way Trubisky has played down the stretch, Chicago now will have to consider bringing him back — a possibility that seemed hard to imagine after he was benched this season. Trubisky’s chances of staying in Chicago long term also appeared slim after the Bears declined his fifth-year option this past May … Trubisky’s performance and record now have left some in the Bears organization wondering what might have happened this season if the 2017 No. 2 overall pick hadn’t been benched when the Bears were 3-0 … Since Trubisky has been reinserted as the starting quarterback, the offense is averaging 31 points over its past four games — and Chicago is back in playoff contention.”
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Could Bears GM Ryan Pace Bid Agains Himself for Trubisky?
Bears GM Ryan Pace has become notorious for bidding against himself, and Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger suggested Schefter’s latest report may result in that very thing with Trubisky next year:
Whether Trubisky wants to stay in Chicago — particularly after seeing his fifth-year option turned down, while also being benched in favor of Nick Foles earlier this season– is another story. There was also a widely-circulated report courtesy of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggesting the Bears plan to bring back head coach Matt Nagy, who Trubisky has had clear friction with this season.
If Chicago does decide to bring back Nagy — a move that has not been made official in any capacity — don’t expect Trubisky to want to stick around unless the Bears offer him a sweet deal. If Ryan Pace also stays and continues to bid against himself, however, that could be exactly what happens. Stay tuned, Bears fans.
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