NEWSLETTER
Mitch Trubisky was a full participant throughout the Chicago Bears’ offseason training program despite not having signed his rookie contract. And clearly, the lack of a done-deal hasn’t fazed him.
As we head into July, the Bears and their No. 2 overall pick still don’t have a signed deal. However, Trubisky doesn’t seem to see it as much of an issue. Indeed, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Bears’ quarterback of the future says he won’t hold out during training camp.
“I’m not going to miss any practices or anything like that,” Trubisky said. “I’m excited to sign my contract as soon as possible, however that goes down. But I don’t see that being held out through training camp; even if it did, I’m going to be practicing and all that. I’m looking forward to getting it done as soon as possible.”
For what it’s worth, the Bears have signed all of their other draft picks.
No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett signed his deal a while ago, making Trubisky the highest pick without a signed deal. However, he isn’t the only high profile draft pick without a contract. As of this deadline, four of the top six picks remain unsigned as defensive end Solomon Thomas (49ers), wide receiver Corey Davis (Titans), and safety Jamal Adams (Jets) have yet to sign their rookie contracts.
Joey Bosa was the third overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he participated in a substantial hold out, missing 31 days of training camp before agreeing to a deal. Bosa went on to lead all rookies with 10.5 sacks in 12 games during a season in which he won the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Trubisky remains confident he will sign a deal because he says his agents and the Bears “have a great relationship” and he has been assured not to worry.
The Bears seem to have a plan in place for Trubisky, which is to say the expectations aren’t high going into the season because Mike Glennon is penciled in as QB1 on the depth chart. Let’s not forget that Glennon has already claimed 2017 as “his year” and has taken on the traditional leadership responsibilities that come with being a starting quarterback. NFC North pundits are in a near-unanimous agreement in believing the Bears should slow-play the development of their prized quarterback prospect. After all, this is probably the best case scenario for Trubisky’s long-term development.
