In re-shaping the Bears quarterbacks room, GM Ryan Pace traded for Nick Foles and re-signed Tyler Bray. One thing that remains unsettled, however, is the future of Mitch Trubisky in Chicago. Of course, a decision on that front appears to be on the horizon.
Here’s a tweet from JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago:
Still no decision from #Bears on Mitch Trubisky's fifth-year option. Says focus is on the draft and will get to it after this weekend.
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) April 21, 2020
Pace has been non-committal regarding Trubisky’s fifth-year option throughout the offseason, and the GM’s words in Tuesday’s press conference were no different. But for the first time this offseason, Pace has offered up a time frame for which he will have complete clarity on the option.
But let’s get more specific, shall we?
Clear your calendars for May 3, the date by which teams have to exercise the fifth-year option on contracts for first-round picks from the 2017 NFL Draft. Should the Bears pick up the option, early estimations for 2021 project $24 million in full guarantees. But that’s a little misleading. The Bears could pick up the option and still cut ties with Trubisky ahead of the 2021 league year while clearing up a whole bunch of cap space in the process (so long as he’s not injured (which is no small if)). If you’ll recall, this is exactly what the Bears did with Leonard Floyd.
For what it’s worth, the 2017 draft class is the last of its kind when it comes to the fifth-year option. Moving forward, the execution of the fifth-year option will be fully guaranteed and there will be no back-door escape hatch to relieve a team of the player’s contract.
But as things stand now, the Bears’ complete focus is on the draft. And that’s good, because whether Trubisky’s option is picked up is irrelevant at a time when the team still has starting holes to fill at four different positions heading into draft weekend.