Odds Favor Mitchell Trubisky Not Being with Bears Next Season
- The Chicago Bears season is over after a 21-9 Wild Card loss to the New Orleans Saints
- Will 2017 second overall pick Mitchell Trubisky start for the Bears next season?
- If Chicago moves on from Trubisky, other quarterbacks that could play in the Windy City
Four years into his NFL career, it’s incredibly obvious the Chicago Bears erred in trading up in the 2017 draft to select Mitchell Trubisky when Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson were still on the board. While Trubisky’s numbers don’t suggest he’s an unmitigated disaster, he certainly hasn’t endeared himself to the coaching staff or the fans with his inconsistent play.
It’s not as if we couldn’t have seen this coming, with Trubisky one of the heavy favorites to be benched first this past season. He had a solid stretch of three games that got the Bears into the postseason late in the year, but in Week 17 against the rival Packers and the Wild Card game against the Saints, he wasn’t able to lead them to victory.
Where do the Bears go from here? Do they continue to believe that a light switch might go off and Trubisky will become their true franchise QB, or do they decide to cut their losses and start anew at the most important position in football in 2021? What other quarterbacks could be out there for them to bring in should they sever ties with Trubisky?
Odds Trubisky Starts Week 1 2021 for Bears
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +225 |
| No | -350 |
All odds as of Jan. 12th
Did Trubisky Progress In Year Four?
Despite winning the first three games of the season with Trubisky under center, Head Coach Matt Nagy decided to bench him in favor of Nick Foles. Trubisky wasn’t a total train wreck in those games, but he had a hard time working the ball down the field, going 51-for-86 for a completion percentage of 59-percent, with six TDs and three INTs.
From @NFLGameDay: #Bears QB Mitch Trubisky, who has played better lately, still has a lot to prove to be Chicago's QB of the future. It begins today. pic.twitter.com/lrIm8eEeQ0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2021
After being benched and then missing time due to a shoulder injury, he resurfaced in Week 12 and promptly lost to the Packers and Lions. He did go on a three-game winning streak where he had six TDs and just two INTs, but that was against Houston, Minnesota and Jacksonville, three of the six worst teams in points allowed per game.
It would be a pretty big surprise to see him under center in Week 1 of next season given his inconsistencies.
Pick: No (-350)
Odds Trubisky Is With Bears In 2021
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +160 |
| No | -225 |
Where Do the Bears Go from Here?
In their Wild Card matchup against the Saints, Trubisky didn’t do nearly enough to silence his critics. He went 19-for-29 for 199 yards and a TD, which came right at the end of the game in garbage time. It’s become a situation in the Windy City between coach and quarterback that is untenable, and with the Bears not firing Nagy as of yet, Trubisky could be the sacrificial lamb.
Mitchell Trubisky on if he wants to be back with the #Bears next season:
"I think I can see myself back here next year. Obviously a lot of that is out of my control. It feels like home. It feels like we have unfinished business."
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) January 11, 2021
He may want to return, but it still seems unlikely Chicago has him back for another tour of duty after the dysfunction in the organization. If they truly viewed him as the long-term answer, it would’ve been obvious after four seasons.
Potential Options at QB for Chicago
The QB carousel will be spinning this offseason with several intriguing names that could be of interest if their current teams decide to go in a different direction.
The Jets could offload Sam Darnold if they draft a QB, Carson Wentz would be available at the right price, Deshaun Watson wants out of Houston and established vets like Matt Ryan, Derek Carr and Matthew Stafford could be had if those clubs are looking for a long term solution.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the newest quarterback of the Chicago Bears, Mr. Ben Roethlisberger."
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) January 11, 2021
If Chicago ends up drafting a quarterback, they could pair him with other quarterbacks like Philip Rivers, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Andy Dalton. With so many options at their disposal, and showing they don’t have much faith in Trubisky when they brought in Nick Foles in 2020, it would be pretty surprising if Trubisky is back for a fifth season.
Pick: No (-225)
Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 16 years, where he's been featured on Sportscentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite, The Masters preview shows, and several more.
