The future is now for the Chicago Bears. After a frustrating 35-14 drubbing at the hands of the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, head coach John Fox has reportedly elected to make a change at the quarterback position, replacing Mike Glennon with rookie Mitch Trubisky.
Report: Mitchell Trubisky To Be Named Chicago Bears Starting Quarterback
The news comes from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Dan Graziano:
Sources tell @AdamSchefter and me that John Fox has made the change at QB to Mitchell Trubisky for Monday's game.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) October 2, 2017
While Glennon had his few moments over the first four games, the offense ultimately struggled to sustain drives and put points on the board. After a particularly disappointing offensive showing in week four, Fox elected to make the change now, as the ten-day window between games gives Trubisky more time to prepare. The youngster will make his debut against the Minnesota Vikings in week five.
Trubisky, the second overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, wowed fans and pundits alike with an impressive preseason performance, but the stakes are much higher now. After the team traded away three draft picks to move up one slot to select him, it was clear that he was expected to solidify the quarterback position for the foreseeable future, and now he has that opportunity. While his moment has arrived sooner than many expected, he will almost certainly lead the Bears for the final twelve games.
It won’t be easy.
Trubisky isn’t stepping into the most quarterback-friendly situation. While he will enjoy an underrated offensive line (particularly along the interior), and a solid one-two punch at running back in Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, he will have to get the most out of a receiving corps that doesn’t feature a true number one pass-catcher.
While Kendall Wright has emerged as the most productive wideout on the team, it’s unreasonable to expect high-end production from him. After playing in the last two contests, free agent acquisition Markus Wheaton is still searching for his first catch in a Bears uniform. Deonte Thompson and Josh Bellamy are best-suited for depth roles. Perhaps Trubsiky will establish a connection with reliable veteran tight end Zach Miller or fellow rookie Adam Shaheen, but that’s mere speculation at this point.
The Bears find themselves at 1-3 and last place in a highly-competitive NFC North. The hope is that Trubisky can provide a spark that the team has been lacking. While his workload will likely be limited out of the gate, the early-season success of Deshaun Watson shows that the rookie signal callers from this draft class are capable of making an immediate impact. Clearly, coach Fox feels that the time is now to see what he has in Trubisky, and Bears fans likely share that sentiment.
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