If watching Chase Daniel made you pine for Mitch Trubisky’s return, you might get your wish after the bye.
I say might, because Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy did not immediately rule out the possibility of Trubisky returning for the team’s Week 7 matchup against the Saints, but he didn’t confirm it either.
Here is what Nagy had to say:
Matt Nagy said the bye week should help Mitchell Trubisky heal up. Doesn’t rule out a return against the #Saints: "I hope he’s back, but I don’t know that."
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) October 7, 2019
Chase Daniel completed 22 of 30 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. But the two interceptions and four sacks served as a reminder of QB2’s limitations when running the show.
Daniel has proven he can guide the offense in a pinch, but he doesn’t have that extra gear needed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Say what you want about Trubisky (I know you will whether I give you permission or not), but having the athleticism and improvisational skills to create late-game play-making magic would have been useful late in Sunday’s loss to the Raiders.
Trubisky missed the Bears’ Week 5 loss to the Raiders because of an injury to his non-throwing shoulder suffered during the team’s Week 4 win against the Vikings. But hey, at least Trubisky didn’t require immediate surgery to repair the injury. And since the team didn’t need to put him on injured reserve, there are optimistic vibes that suggest Trubisky could return sooner, rather than later.
If Trubisky gets back onto the playing field for the Saints game on October 20, it would represent the most optimistic timetable for a return to action. Should Trubisky start in Week 7, 20 days will have passed since injuring his shoulder. Trubisky missed 20 days of action last season while nursing an injured throwing shoulder (coincidentally, it was also suffered at Soldier Field against the Vikings). The Bears don’t need to rush Trubisky back, but his head coach sounds hopeful that it could happen.