NEWSLETTER
The Tyler Bray Show was on full display at Soldier Field on Thursday night, and it might have been enough to secure a spot on the Bears’ season-opening 53-man roster.
Bray completed 28 of 40 passes (70 percent) for 334 yards and a touchdown. And while he wasn’t able to engineer a game-winning drive in the preseason’s waning moments, he wrapped up the exhibition slate with style and an impressive 103.5 rating in Thursday’s finale. Bray ended the preseason on a roll, which shouldn’t be overlooked as the Bears prepare to trim their roster from 90 to 53.
LOOK AT THIS THORW:
https://twitter.com/BN_Bears/status/1167234293996896257
If you factor in Bray’s performance in Preseason Week 3, his numbers look a lot like what you would expect out of QB2. In his last two preseason showings, Bray has completed 69.6 percent of his passes, thrown for 470 yards, two touchdowns, and just one interception. It all adds up to a 99.6 passer rating. And while I won’t pretend that his 6-for-13, 53-yard game in Preseason Week 2 didn’t happen, it is impossible not to realize how Bray appears to have turned the corner.
At minimum, his last two preseason outings should give Chicago’s decision-makers plenty to think about before rosters are due at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday:
Ryan Pace also said on WBBM he is not against keeping three quarterbacks but still has evaluations to do.
— Matt Eurich (@MattEurich) August 29, 2019
Carrying three quarterbacks has its pros and cons. I like the continuity in keeping two quarterbacks in Mitch Trubisky’s ear who could help his development arrow pointing up. And perhaps one day Bray could even challenge Chase Daniel for the QB2 spot if he hangs around a while longer. Then again, carrying three quarterbacks means another position group will have one fewer player. Good luck telling that position group’s coach that one fewer guy is with your unit because your team wants to roll with three quarterbacks (one of whom will be inactive every week).
I suppose the Bears could conceivably stash Bray on the practice squad for another year, but it’s fair to ask if it’s worth it to risk losing a quarterback who knows your system to another team.
Put aside the obligatory “it’s just the preseason caveat” for just a moment, and think back to what we saw last night from the Bears’ quarterback. It was enough of a glimpse at what the offense could look like when QB1 is under center. A mix of short throws that help establish a quarterback’s rhythm and get the ball in space to playmakers and deep shots that stretch the defense is exactly what this offense should be about when the regular season opens up in six days.
Bray isn’t going to unseat Trubisky or Daniel any time soon. But at least he gave us something to talk about from the quarterback position.
