Moving on from ineffective quarterbacks quickly is not something the Chicago Bears are known for. This is why the optimistic talk about Mitch Trubisky being all but done by 2020 is a bit hard to swallow. Rich Eisen came out recently and warned fans that there is a strong likelihood (in his mind) that Trubisky will be back under center next year. However, if he alone doesn’t convince you? Just take a look at the guy who held the mantle before he arrived in Jay Cutler.
Like Ryan Pace, former Bears GM Jerry Angelo invested a ton of resources into a trade for the 26-year old Pro Bowler back in 2009. After a rocky start, Cutler seemed to find himself a bit in 2010, helping the team to the NFC championship. Then in 2011, he was playing like an MVP into November before a tragic thumb injury ended his (and the Bears’) season. Over the next two years, his effectiveness began to dip.
In 26 games between 2012 and 2013, he went 15-11, completed barely 60% of his passes for 38 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, and an 84.1 passer rating. GM Phil Emery was there to watch all of it. Going into the 2014 offseason, Cutler was set to become a free agent. Emery had a chance to revamp the quarterback position in his own vision. He could easily re-sign veteran Josh McCown to a cheap deal as the temporary start (he played great in Marc Trestman’s offense), and then take a quarterback in the draft.
One that featured Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo and Teddy Bridgewater. Instead, Emery chose the “safer” route. He gave Cutler a new seven-year deal worth $126 million.
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Bears stayed the course on Jay Cutler and it burned them
The problem is the Bears have been starved of good QB play for so long that even when they see it for short bursts, they’re willing to cling to the hope that a guy can do it more often with enough time. That’s how it was with Cutler. His strong run towards the end of 2010 and halfway through 2011 lingered in their minds despite his up-and-down two seasons after that. As a result, they were burned over the next three years when he went 12-23 with 53 TDs and 34 interceptions.
They paid a ton of money for essentially the same guy he’d been most of his Bears career.
Now the team is facing an eerily similar situation. Trubisky wasn’t good as a rookie. He had a solid 2018 but has since fallen off a cliff in 2019. The Bears invested a lot in him but at the same time, they know this roster is capable of making a deep playoff run. It hinges on getting adequate play out of the quarterback. Are they willing to risk another year on Trubisky when jobs will undoubtedly be on the line for both the coaching staff and the front office?
Everybody remembers what happened to Emery and Trestman after that fateful decision on Cutler was made. Gone just one year later.
