One of the most valuable additions of the Chicago Bears’ last offseason was one that cost about $10 million over two years. And while backup quarterback Chase Daniel was brought in primarily to tutor Mitch Trubisky in the ways of Matt Nagy’s offense, it could soon be Daniel’s time to take the wheel.
Trubisky is day-to-day because of a shoulder injury he suffered after a late hit by Harrison Smith in Sunday’s win over the Vikings. And while Nagy said he was cautiously optimistic regarding Trubisky’s status for Thursday’s game against the Lions, the Bears’ head coach came off sounding like he was prepared to hand the keys to Chase Daniel in a quick turnaround.
And if that happens to be the case, at least Daniel is someone who has the full trust of his head coach:
Nagy on Chase Daniel if he were to play against Detroit: “This is why you have a guy like Chase. You’re very comfortable with him.”
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 20, 2018
Nagy on Chase Daniel: “He’s extremely confident in the way he plays because he’s so smart. He prepares every game as if he’s going to start so if that time were to come, he doesn’t blink.”
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 20, 2018
For as long as I can remember, the backup quarterback has always been the second favorite player of a certain segment of Bears fans (behind the obvious and ever-popular star on the defensive side of the ball). And Daniel certainly built up quite a buzz with his preseason performance against the Kansas City Chiefs.
If you’ll recall, Daniel started the dress rehearsal preseason game against Kansas City when Nagy decided to rest the team’s starters two weeks ahead of their Week 1 opener against the Green Bay Packers. Daniel took advantage of the opportunity, completing 15 of 18 passes for 198 yards, two touchdowns, and a passer rating of 149.5. Talk about a tune-up! The Bears scored 24 points in the first half, which was something out of the ordinary for Bears fans who had seen the offense score 24 points or more just nine times in the three previous seasons under John Fox.
Nagy didn’t come out and say Trubisky isn’t starting on Thursday. In fact, he even shared “cautious optimism” regarding his status. But based on what Nagy told reporters on Tuesday, Daniel will start if Trubisky isn’t ready to roll. And if the Bears follow the same plans that were laid out when they proceeded cautiously with injuries to Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson, then perhaps it will be Daniel’s time on Thursday.