Mitch Trubisky is headed to the Pro Bowl, y’all … as an alternate.
The Chicago Bears quarterback is one of seven members of the 2018 NFC North champions to make the Pro Bowl as an alternate. Joining Trubisky are tight end Trey Burton, center Cody Whitehair, left tackle Charles Leno Jr., inside linebackers Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan, and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.
Trubisky is arguably the most notable Pro Bowl alternate among the bunch. Chicago’s QB1 has thrown for 2,814 yards, 23 touchdowns, and has a 94.1 passer rating as he has improved his completion percentage, touchdown percentage, passer rating and QBR, cut down on the number of sacks he has taken, and added the element of being a threat on the ground. It has all added up to Trubisky taking the much-talked-about second-year leap under first-year Head Coach Matt Nagy. And even though Trubisky has missed two games due to a shoulder injury, he is still on pace to throw for 3,283 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. Yep, sounds like someone worthy of being a Pro Bowl alternate to me.
But in order for Trubisky to make it, at least one NFC North quarterback – Drew Brees, Jared Goff, or Aaron Rodgers – will have to bow out of the game. If that happens, Trubisky could become the first Bears quarterback to reach the Pro Bowl since Jim McMahon did it in 1986.
All in all, this means the Bears could have as many as 12 Pro Bowlers when the game kicks off at 2 p.m. CT on January 27 in Orlando.
In an ideal world, none of the Bears players actually make it to the Pro Bowl because they’ll be too busy representing the Bears in the Super Bowl. You know, the “Bowl” game players actually want to play in.