NEWSLETTER
This summer should have led to Mitchell Trubisky being named the unquestioned starter entering Week 1.
Think about it.
Trubisky spent the offseason working with the QB guru who aided in the development of Patrick Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo. This isn’t to say working with Jeff Christensen would turn Trubisky into a championship caliber quarterback overnight, but cleaner mechanics should have positioned him to make the most of his athletic gifts. In addition to the necessary mechanical work, Trubisky took advantage of having existing relationships with teammates to work out with them while away from Halas Hall. Chemistry isn’t everything, but it’s one area in which Trubisky had a decided advantage over Foles.
And yet, no one is certain if he is better now than when he first showed up at camp in Bourbonnais in 2017.
It’s not as if Trubisky should be lacking for confidence. His teammates have publicly gassed him up at every turn this offseason. Ted Ginn Jr. predicted Trubisky would win the starting job. Allen Robinson spoke positively about his offseason workouts with Trubisky. Cordarrelle Patterson, the ultimate teammate/hype man, said Trubisky looked like a whole new player. Receivers Coach Mike Furrey even let Trubisky rock with the WWE title belt after his throws helped the pass-catchers beat the defensive backs in drills.
But when even the positive reports from training camp are undercut by mistakes he can’t still be making as a player entering his fourth year in the NFL, it’s easy to come to a conclusion that it’s not all there for Trubisky. Because if Trubisky proved himself to be The Guy in camp, I feel as if the Bears would be shouting it from a rooftop. But only after taking social distancing precautions before doing so.
Perhaps this summer should have set up for Foles to be the unquestioned QB1. Unfortunately, it’s not as if Foles has impressed onlookers.
Foles’ perceived strengths don’t necessarily show up in practice. He isn’t mobile, overly athletic, or blessed with a rocket for an arm. That dings him in a head-to-head competition. But what Foles has is an understanding of what defenses do and an ability to distribute like a point guard. That’s not stuff that shows up while casually watching practice. Doing yeoman’s work isn’t flashy. But it is what’s expected for a guy who already feels “right at home” in the Bears’ offense. Even still … I wish there was more evidence that he was going it in camp (and that mattered in this competition). But because such evidence hasn’t been presented, I’m unsure if Foles has an edge (even if it’s by a nose).
There is no excuse not to have an answer by this point. Not when Foles is a supposed master in this particular offense. And not when Trubisky has three years starting experience and an offseason that should have set him up for success. That neither has run away with the gig by this point is why we’re here in the first place.
An unprecedented offseason has left the Bears without a clear-cut answer at the most important position in sports. But that can’t be a valid excuse. Not when the Patriots announce Cam Newton as their starter/ captain less than 60 days into his tenure. Meanwhile, 170 days have passed since the Bears announced their acquisition of Foles. And yet, there is no sign the team has solved its quarterback problem.
At least … not yet.
