When asked to compare the two-minute drills performed by quarterbacks Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky, Chicago Bears head coach John Fox didn’t have time for it.
“We don’t do comparisons. We’ve just got to evaluate how they did. (Trubisky) did have a successful scoring drive in two minute. (Glennon) got down there pretty close with the first unit. We just continue to evaluate practice; not just games, but the whole practice, and (Trubisky) is continuing to get better.”
Fair enough. After all, Glennon and Trubisky are working with (and against) two different units when attempting to execute these drills. Further, the expectation levels are different for Glennon (the veteran who was handed more than $18 million in guarantees to take the starter’s job) and Trubisky (the rookie who the franchise publicly insists will be taking the equivalent to a reshirt this season). Still, there is no denying Trubisky looked good in the preseason opener, then helped close out public practices at Bourbonnais with a bang.
And yet, when asked to make a comparison regarding the bubbling hype surrounding Trubisky, Fox had an answer:
#Bears coach John Fox on Mitchell Trubisky hype: "First time we threw Tim Tebow out in Denver was pretty similar."
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) August 13, 2017
To be clear, Fox was comparing the hype surrounding the players and not necessarily the players themselves. And Fox would know quarterback hype after living through the Tim Tebow experience, as well as production after coaching Peyton Manning for two seasons. Unfortunately, if anything is going to continue to stoke the fire takes around Trubisky, it’s mentioning him in the same breath as Tebow. Hopefully, a few more strong performances this preseason will go a long way toward shedding the Tebow comparison for good.
And yet, the comparisons don’t stop there. In fact, I feel as if we’re just getting started on that front.
Greg Gabriel writes about the overall good weekend had by rookie quarterbacks during the first weekend of the preseason, and it wasn’t just Trubisky either. Deshaun Watson (Texans), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), and DeShone Kizer (Browns) were among those who flashed some brilliance in their professional debuts.
Here is a snippet from Garbriel’s piece at Pro Football Weekly after watching Trubisky play, including a very juicy comp:
“He did not throw an interception, and his accuracy and ball placement were outstanding. Trubisky is a very athletic quarterback and also rushed for 38 yards on three carries. The Bears couldn’t have asked for a better start. An NFC scout said to me after the game that Trubisky reminded him of Dak Prescott in his debut.”
Prescott was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, completing 67.8 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,667 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He owned a 104.9 passer rating, 81.5 QBR, and an 84.4 grade from Pro Football Focus that was the 10th best among quarterbacks in 2016. So for Trubisky to garner that kind of comparison after his preseason debut is high praise.
And while that’s encouraging to read, Trubisky needs to prove to be more than a one-week flash if scouts and analysts are going to continue tossing favorable comparisons in his direction.