Despite what I – as a fan – may have wanted to see this summer, I didn’t expect Mitch Trubisky to play much (if any) of the preseason. I had hoped, however, that backup QB Chase Daniel could provide a glimpse of what the offense might look like when Trubisky and the starters took over in Week 1.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened. Daniel may have completed a solid 65 percent of his passes this preseason, but he’s averaged just 6.1 yards per attempt, hasn’t yet thrown a touchdown, has been sacked seven times, and currently owns an 81.7 passer rating this summer. Which is probably why NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms lists Chicago’s backup situation among the league’s most troubling heading into the 2019 season.
In Simms’ eyes, the Bears are in the same ballpark as the Lions, Cowboys, Panthers, Steelers, Jaguars, Packers, and Falcons in having QB2 problems. And he’s not alone in that opinion.
Phil Simms, the Super Bowl XXI MVP and long-time top-tier color analyst on CBS Sports NFL broadcast, identified the Bears as one of two teams whose issues at the position stand out above the rest: “Chicago would worry me …. I saw him play those two games last year. Especially outdoors, you have to worry a lot,” Phil Simms said. “If you have to go on the road or play in Chicago or anywhere else the situation’s not perfect, he’s going to struggle. It’s just plain and simple.”
You can check out the Simms’ assessment of the most bothersome backup spots it in its entirety below:
Although Matt Nagy may disagree with Daniel’s effectiveness, at some point, the Bears will want to draft a developmental quarterback as Trubisky’s backup.
Ideally, that player can learn the system behind Trubisky, while providing a little more athletic/general upside to everything Daniel already brings to the table – especially as Trubisky grows out of the need or a mentor/veteran-type QB behind him. Moreover, the Bears can certainly benefit by filling that roster spot with a cap-friendly rookie-scale contract, given that they appear to be on the brink of shelling out some major contracts in the near future.
But while the Bears have two second-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, including one that could be in the front end of the round if the Raiders’ rebuild hits a snag, that doesn’t really help them this season, does it? No, obviously not.
Ultimately, this isn’t a huge issue, because as presently constructed, the 2019 Chicago Bears are a pretty clear Super Bowl contender (and not every team is perfect, let alone at their backup positions). But still … the backup QB is more important than most depth pieces and a pair of analysts who know more than a thing or two about the position do not believe Daniel can be the guy.
That won’t stop Matt Nagy from rolling with him if/when the moment calls for it, but that doesn’t mean it’s a strength, either. In the meantime, ask the deity of your choice to protect QB1 at all costs.
Michael Cerami contributed to this post.