Getty QB Mitchell Trubisky
The Mitch Trubisky saga isn’t over yet for the Chicago Bears. The team’s former second overall pick in 2017, the 26-year-old quarterback is a free agent this offseason, and it has been frequently suggested by insiders that the Bears will likely move on from him. Now, however, a conflicting report has emerged from a credible source, clouding an already opaque situation even more.
First, top NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported in early January that Chicago was not likely to re-sign Trubisky after the team’s early exit in the playoffs to the New Orleans Saints.
Then, Chicago-based analyst David Kaplan of NBC Sports and ESPN 1000 said the following about the Trubisky – Bears relationship late last month: “I have talked to people who are close to Mitchell Trubisky. He has zero interest in coming back here,” Kaplan said, via Bears Wire. “I’ve also talked to people who are close to Matt Nagy and they have zero interest in him coming back here.”
Now, Daniel Greenberg of ChiSportsUpdates has suggested that those assuming Trubisky leaving is a certainty had better slow their roll.
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Greenberg: Talk of Trubisky’s Lack of Interest Isn’t True
Greenberg, who is averse to Tweeting rumors for rumors sake, revealed the following about the Bears and their quarterback Thursday afternoon:
“I was told two weeks ago that the Chicago Bears and Mitch Trubisky’s side were planning to have a talk about Trubisky’s future with the team,” Greenberg Tweeted, adding a very interesting wrinkle: “Not sure if it happened already but the ‘Trubisky has zero interest to return to the Bears’ report is not true.”
The Bears were rumored to be interested in Carson Wentz, but Jay Glazer reported recently that Chicago did not, in fact, make an offer to the Philadelphia Eagles for their former quarterback. Could the team’s current tenuous situation at quarterback force them to bring back Trubisky simply due to lack of better options? Anything is possible at this point.
Colts were really only spot that made sense. Bears did their homework but never made an offer, Colts were the players in this. Eagles got what they could
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Trubisky Did Not Show Improvement Against Good Teams in 2020
After the Bears chose not to pick up his fifth-year option last year, it was going to take a big-time breakout for the former North Carolina quarterback to secure a long-term deal. That breakout never came. While he played well against poor teams, Trubisky could never quite take it to the next level against teams with solid defenses, and he also had a hard time capitalizing on the weaknesses of opponents — even in year four.
Trubisky completed a career-high 67 percent of his passes for 2,055 yards, 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season, but it wasn’t enough. He returned to the starting lineup Week 12 after getting benched earlier in the year, and while he had a record of 6-3 in his nine starts — the Bears averaged 30.7 points a game Week 12 and beyond — but they averaged just 16.6 points against teams with winning records. Trubisky
Trubisky Has Expressed Interest in Coming Back to Chicago
It’s hard to envision a scenario that has Trubisky back working with head coach Matt Nagy, particularly after the young signal-caller was critical of both Nagy and the offensive play-calling this season.
The Bears have also gone out of their way to avoid committing to their former first-round pick. Chicago’s general manager Ryan Pace said this when asked about the team’s plans at quarterback this offseason: “We definitely need more out of the position,” Pace said at the team’s year-end presser. “We know that. What does that entail? That’s what this whole offseason is about.”
Despite everything, after the season, Trubisky said this about the possibility of returning to Chicago:
I think I can definitely see myself back here next year. Obviously a lot of that is out of my control but it feels like home and it feels like we have unfinished business…I know there’s decisions that are gonna be made this offseason. I feel like I’ve gotten better over these four years and really this season. It’s been tough. There’s been some ups and downs. But I’m proud of where I’m at and where we battled and how we got better over the year. So we’ll just take it one day at a time this offseason. I know God’s got a plan for me. Just continue to stay positive and keep working and keep believing.
Whether Mitch is back in Chicago for another run next season remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: The door is still open for his return until the Bears close it.
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