Trubisky’s no Mahomes or Watson but could be Bears’ Franchise QB
Updated June 18, 2019
When the Chicago Bears drafted Mitch Trubisky second overall in 2017, they thought they secured their first franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman in the 1940s. But Bears fans consider it a blown pick, because Kansas City and Houston drafted later in the round and found Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, who have outplayed Trubisky.
So Trubisky is unpopular, not because he’s lousy but because a couple of others in his rookie class turned out to be better.
We see similar buyer’s remorse in New York, where Giants fans are twitter-mad over Daniel Jones being overdrafted at No. 6. When the image of Jones appeared Monday night on the video board at Yankee Stadium, booing erupted.
There is a difference here: Jones is pushing against the popular and accomplished Eli Manning, but Trubisky is successor to Brian Hoyer and Jay Cutler.
Chris Simms, former quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, feels Trubisky deserves something besides scorn for his team’s 12-4 record last season. Simms pointed out, on Pro Football Talk, that Trubisky was underprepared for the NFL; he had only one season as a starter at North Carolina.
And as a pro he’s on a defense-first team with a run-first offensive approach.
“They haven’t had much talent around him,” Simms said, “and I don’t think Matt Nagy has helped him with his schemes.”
Trubisky’s skill set is suited to the smash-mouth tradition of the Monsters of the Midway. He’s a runner himself (420 yards rushing last season, 6.2 per carry, 3 TD). And as Simms noted, “He can throw the ball through the wind in Chicago.”
In an indirect shot at backup Chase Daniel, Simms said, “When Trubisky wasn’t in the game, they stunk.”
Another ex-QB talking head, Steve Young, has the more conventional view of Trubisky: “He can give you some big games, but you don’t know what you’re gonna get with him.”
All that said, perceptions were changing during the recent Bears’ mini-camp.
Brad Biggs, who covers the team for the Chicago Tribune, wrote: “The most improved player from this time last year has to be Mitch Trubisky.”
Nagy agreed: “He was doing things that a year ago he couldn’t come close to doing.”
Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel observed “a drastic change from last year.” He sees a confident 24-year-old who “isn’t just trying to figure out what the play is.”
Trubisky told the Chicago Sun-Times: “I’ve got a much better grasp of the offense . . . getting to the line of scrimmage, making adjustment on all our plays and knowing where to go with the football.”
Trubisky last season had a 95.4 passer rating, 15th among NFL starters. He doesn’t need to improve much to make the Bears a Super Bowl team. Their defense last season ranked first in fewest points allowed. And that was despite missing All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson for the final two games and star nickel back Bryce Callahan for the last five.
The Bears could benefit from decline by their main NFC challengers, the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Rams’ All-Pro running back Todd Gurley has an arthritic knee that will hamper him probably forever. The Saints are aging, future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees being 40. The Eagles are relying on their reckless, oft-injured QB Carson Wentz, and they no longer have Nick Foles to rescue them.
The main issue with the Bears is not their quarterback but their kicking game. Cody Parkey’s double doink in the playoff game with Philly is an all-time classic blooper. The Bears dismissed Parkey, but they haven’t found a more reliable replacement.
As a minicamp session was about to conclude, Nagy had his three placekickers attempt a 40-yard field goal. Everyone missed it.
Which led to a priceless quote that Nagy delivered to the media: “Whatever was going through your mind was going through my mind. . . . That’s about as real as it gets.”
Kevin Fishbain tweeted: “What went through my mind? It’s the most important kick of the afternoon. The entire team is watching. All the coaches, reporters, 20-25 Bears alums in attendance with their guests. And Eddy Pineiro, Elliott Fry and Chris Blewitt each missed. It was surreal.”
I say a team that would hire a kicker whose name is pronounced “blew it” gets what it asked for.
