NEWSLETTER
Thomas Davis of the Carolina Panthers raised some eyebrows when he said Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky has an Aaron Rodgers-like effect on his team in the days leading up to the two teams’ Week 7 showdown.
Those types of comparisons (especially from veteran All-Pro linebackers) often send us to dreamland with visions of Trubisky dissecting defenses, throwing darts, and putting points on the board. But like most rookie quarterbacks, Trubisky hasn’t shown the kind of consistency to validate that kind of hype.
But I guess that’s not stopping those kinds of comparisons from rolling in at this moment.
When talking about Trubisky in a conference call with Green Bay’s reporters, left guard Josh Sitton – who spent eight seasons with the Packers before joining the Bears in 2016 – sees some parallels between his former quarterback and the one he will be protecting on Sunday:
Sitton says he sees "some similarities" between Mitch Trubisky and Aaron Rodgers, with Trubisky's ability to move out of the pocket and throw on the run, "but he's got a long way to go before he can be compared to Aaron."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) November 8, 2017
Not only does Trubisky have a long way to go before he can be compared to a Super Bowl winning two-time NFL MVP, it’s evident the rookie has some catching up to do before he’s trusted with running an offense that isn’t built around keeping a quarterback from making mistakes.
Perhaps Week 10 provides an opportune time for the Bears to unleash their rookie quarterback, move the pocket, allow their quarterback to throw on the run, and air it out deep down the field against a defense that will be without starting safety Morgan Burnett.
Trubisky told reporters he was excited about the week ahead, and why wouldn’t he be? By the sounds of it, the Bears could actually lift some of the restrictions that have limited Trubisky’s pass attempts in his four starts. Trubisky is seeing on the field what we’re seeing from above, telling reporters: “Every defense has played us different than what they’ve shown against other teams.”
Head Coach John Fox hinted at newly acquired receiver Dontrelle Inman being ready to play a significant role in the offense, telling reporters at Halas Hall on Wednesday that Inman has “a good grasp of what we’re doing now and what’s expected of him.” Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains was beating the drum for Inman too, noting that Trubisky’s newest target has been hounding his office. Even Trubisky (you can see his Wednesday press conference in full here) made note of Inman’s presence on the practice field with hopes it will translate to gameday production.
Loggains said he is pleased with Trubisky’s performance so far and encouraged by his direction moving forward, but added Trubisky’s completion percentage won’t increase if pass protection isn’t better and if receivers aren’t getting separation against man-to-man defenses. A lot must go right for the Bears to engineer a successful passing attack. If it does, it will open up new lanes for running backs Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. And if the offense can create a situation where it can be successful throwing and running, then it’s possible Trubisky can take the next step in his development.
