Despite Struggles, Mitchell Trubisky Still Favored to Be Bears Starting QB in 2020
- Struggling QB Mitch Trubisky has -250 odds to be Chicago’s starter in 2020
- Trubisky has been hobbled by injury and thrown just five TD passes in six games this season
- The 25-year-old’s woes stand in contrast to last season, when he led Chicago to the NFC North divisional title
It has been a terrible NFL season for Mitch Trubisky. A hero of the team’s march to the top of the NFC North standings a year ago in his first full season as the Bears’ starter, Trubisky has placed his NFL future in doubt with some shaky performances this season.
Yet, he remains a -250 favorite to still be Chicago’s starting quarterback for the opening of the 2020 NFL campaign.
Odds Mitch Trubisky Is Chicago Bears Starting QB in 2020
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -250 |
| No | +170 |
Odds collected Oct. 30.
Trubisky Powered Bears Breakthrough in 2018
Selected second overall by Chicago in the 2017 NFL Draft following a stellar final season at North Carolina, Trubisky quickly became the centerpiece of the Bears offense under newly-hired head coach Matt Nagy last season. Trubisky responded by piling up 24 touchdowns and 3,223 passing yards, and leading the Bears to a 12-4 record, their best regular-season performance in 12 years.
Mitchell Trubisky 2018 (14 regular season, 1 playoff)
315-474 66%
3,526 yds. 25 TD 12 INT
95.4971 rushes for 430 yards (6.1per) 3 TD.
6 – 300+ yard games
8/15 starts with 0 INT (126 consecutive attempts to finish the year with 0 INT)How can someone regress so much?
— BBLIV (@BLeCompteIV) October 22, 2019
The 25-year-old has struggled badly in his bid to follow up on his breakthrough campaign. As the NFL season passes the midway point, Trubisky sits as a lightning rod of criticism for a Bears squad that has failed the fulfill the promise that made them +170 favorites to repeat as NFC North champions in the NFL divisional odds.
Injuries, O-Line Contribute to Trubisky’s Woes
Trubisky has failed to record a touchdown pass in four of six appearances this season, and has connected on just five TDs in total this season. Only once has Trubisky turned in the sort of performance that became typical last season, connecting on more than 67% of attempts on just one occasion after topping 71% in six outings in 2018.
As a result, he has seen his QBR tumble from 71.0 last season to a meagre 35.7, leaving him ranked 29th among NFL passers.
Here is the play that Mitch Trubisky got injured on. His injury is on him. He ran away from the pocket on this for no reason. If he stayed and waited, he had an open throw to Anthony Miller for a touchdown. He panicked when he really had no reason to. #Bears pic.twitter.com/XHnTLR4Ymc
— Dan DeYoung (@DanDeYoungFB) October 1, 2019
Injuries have been a factor in Trubisky’s sudden fall from grace this season, as has been the subpar play of the Bears offensive line. Trubisky was forced to leave early in Chicago’s 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4 after suffering a separated shoulder.
He looked shaky in his return two weeks later in a 36-25 loss to New Orleans, missing open targets on several occasions before tossing a pair of meaningless late-game scoring passes.
Opposing defenders have also gotten to Trubisky with regularity this season, sacking him 14 times including four sacks in last weekend’s dismal 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
With Tough Schedule Ahead, Change Under Center Will Have to Wait
Now sporting a 3-4 record that leaves them buried in last place in the NFC North, and facing a brutal second-half schedule that includes matchups with Philadelphia, Dallas, and Kansas City, as well as divisional clashes with the Vikings and Green Bay, the Bears are lengthy +700 longshots to return to NFL playoff action this season. As a result, a quick fix is not an option.
While the Bears may now be reconsidering their future with Trubisky under center, he remains under contract until the end of the 2020 NFL season, owed a guaranteed $17.1 million, with Chicago holding the option to extend the deal to a fifth year in 2021.
Trubisky’s relatively friendly rookie deal is one of the reasons the squad has been able to make key additions like Khalil Mack, and is likely to be a key factor in the team maintaining Trubisky’s services into the 2020 NFL campaign.
Pick: Yes (-250)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
