When the Chicago Bears drafted quarterback Mitch Trubisky in 2017 there were mixed reactions. One of the first reactions was that Ryan Pace got snookered by San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch. Pace gave up two additional draft picks just to move up one spot, when there had been no indication that San Francisco would draft a quarterback. The optics of that move are not Mitchell’s fault.

Mixed Reactions about Mitch Trubisky

Trubisky himself gambled about his draft status when he gave up his senior year to enter the draft process. He had only started one year at North Carolina, leading the Tar Heels to a respectable 8-4 record and a bowl game loss to Stanford. When Lamar Jackson decided to stay at Louisville, and Baker Mayfield got in trouble and decided to stay at Oklahoma, the possibility existed that Trubisky could be among the top three quarterbacks taken in the 2017 draft.

Top Three

Deshaun Watson had to win the national championship to be considered first round material. Patrick Mahomes was frequently intercepted playing for a bottom rung Texas Tech team in the weak Big 12. With no other standout quarterbacks on the horizon, Trubisky showed just enough arm strength, just enough accuracy, mobility and athleticism to stand out among a weak class of quarterback’s at the draft combine.

It was during the interview process that the Bears secretly fell in love with Trubisky. Much like the shy boy that owner George McCaskey is, he and his plus one, Ryan Pace, coveted Trubisky from afar. Hearing the Cleveland Browns gush openly about Trubisky at the combine made the Bears hierarchy covet Trubisky that much more… for some reason.

His Own Pace

As one of the youngest general managers in the league, Pace has never exuded that much confidence about his own abilities to judge talent. In the last few years, he decided to let other teams negotiate contracts for him and his players. Kyle Fuller signing the transition tag and letting the Green Bay Packers set his price, being the most glaring example.

The concern early on regarding Pace’s feelings concerned Trubisky’s sample size in college was so small. At just 13 games, Trubisky has had about one-third of the experience of his counterparts who have also been drafted in the first round the last several years. For Cleveland to have also be smitten about Trubisky didn’t say a lot about his prospects for success.

No team in history has done a worse job than Cleveland in drafting quarterbacks, and that year they instead drafted DeShone Kizer in the second round. The Browns new regime promptly traded Kizer to Green Bay for a lower draft pick earlier this year.

So Pace drafted his quarterback of the future in his third year commanding the Bears. He handed Trubisky and free agent Mike Glennon over to John Fox without improving the offensive line or receiving corps. The resulting season was disastrous, with injuries everywhere they were thin already, and neither Glennon or Trubisky having a chance to succeed. Fox was canned and Pace miraculously survived the purge to pick another head coach.

Matt Nagy

Trubisky was put into the hands of Matt Nagy, who if nothing else was at least a quarterback himself at one point in college, and the Arena League. That he came from the Andy Reid coaching tree was considered a major plus. Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles and Alex Smith are just a couple of quarterbacks who have thrived under Reid’s teaching.

Nagy has proved to be a good play caller so far, mixing in a variety of plays that has Trubisky and the Bears new receivers moving the chains. Trubisky threw a team-record six touchdowns against a Tampa Bay defense that couldn’t cover your mother. That’s an outlier and unlikely to happen again. And even though the Arizona game was ugly, it was important as a confidence builder, because Trubisky led the Bears to a come from behind victory on the road.

Regardless of Trubisky’s inaccuracy going deep, or throwing over, and in front of defenders. The Bears, with Trubisky leading the offense, have had leads in every game. He is improving and the team’s confidence is growing. The defense has called him an assassin for two years now, and we are beginning to understand why.

Which Bear is Best?

Nagy is slowly but surely building something with Mitch Trubisky and the Bears offense. It is something that should improve to a level where the Bears can continue to be competitive and beat some of the best teams in the league soon.

Nagy needs to focus his playbook on Trubisky’s strengths of going over the middle with slant and crossing patterns. With more improvement of Trubisky’s timing of nine routes and out patterns, the Bears offense may become the strength of the team.

The playoffs might not happen this year. It is going to be close. The key is for the Bears to develop this offense and this system so the Bears can be annual contenders for the next decade. The Bears fandom wants their team to be like New England, Pittsburgh, Green Bay and become a yearly destination for playoff football.

Trubisky!?

Trubisky and the offense are starting to play more consistently, averaging more than 30+ points per game in the last four. That would normally be enough to win except for some special teams, and defensive letdowns at untimely moments. Not to mention some red zone fumbles by the offensive skill position players. The fact is, Trubisky is starting to become one of the best players on the team, not an excuse for losing.

Now having started a full season of games it finally appears the Bears have their quarterback of the future.

With the Buffalo Bills on deck next week, it certainly feels as though the Bears have the edge at quarterback for the first time in a very long time.