The Chicago Bears haven’t yet considered what they plan to do at quarterback in 2021. They haven’t had the time. The team is too busy battling to save their playoff hopes. After winning two-straight, they’re 7-7. If they can win out the last two weeks, their odds are favorable for making the postseason. What people want to know is what happens with Mitch Trubisky should they manage to pull it off?
That will mean despite everything that’s happened in 2020, the 26-year old will have led the team to the playoffs for the second time in three years. This time without a ton of help from the defense. It’s been the Bears’ offense leading the charge this time, averaging over 30 points in their past three games. Trubisky has eight TD passes and just three interceptions since returning to the starting lineup after the bye week.
Will this mean the team has to retain him moving forward?
It’s a legitimate question. Trubisky seems much more comfortable of late since the Bears shifted their offensive philosophies. Now they are a run-first offense behind David Montgomery featuring lots of outside zone. Trubisky spends more time under center where he can utilize play action and also run lots of bootlegs to take advantage of his athleticism.
While nobody would accuse him of being elite, Trubisky has shown once again that in this style of offense? He can be perfectly adequate. Since the Bears aren’t likely to pick high in the upcoming NFL draft and free agency won’t feature any big names, their best course of action may be to bring him back. Bill Barnwell of ESPN believes they will likely do that and even has a contract number in mind.
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“Chicago signs QB Mitchell Trubisky to a four-year, $90 million deal.
The only guaranteed money in this contract would be a $20 million signing bonus and a $2 million base salary for 2021, so Trubisky would really be on a one-year, $22 million pact. The Bears would structure the deal this way to keep his cap number at $9 million while simultaneously maintaining the flexibility to get out of the deal after 2021 if he disappoints in his last shot at the starting job.”
If Mitch Trubisky stays, the Bears need an easy out
As always it’s important for people not to get caught up in the main number presented. A $90 million deal for Trubisky sounds absurd considering his inconsistent he’s been to date. However, that is misleading. Contract structure is what matters though. Barnwell is saying that the deal will be limited on guarantees. Enough to where the Bears won’t have major cap ramifications if they decide to move on after 2021.
At the same time, what happens if this proves to be a genuine “seeing the light” moment? The Bears will have Mitch Trubisky under contract for an additional three years at a highly manageable $22.5 million per year. Among the cheapest in the NFL in regards to starting quarterback money. That would give the team significant cap flexibility to build their roster with.
Such a deal would be a win-win for Chicago.
At the same time, Trubisky isn’t likely to get a better offer from another team. Most will likely view him as a backup option who might compete for the starting job depending on circumstances. The Bears are likely the only team who will offer him the main gig. He’ll know the system and the players. Despite the frustrations with Matt Nagy at times, the quarterback can’t expect the grass to be greener on the other side.
For Chicago? Keeping him on board in 2021 allows them to place their focus elsewhere on the roster. Specifically the rest of the offense. It’s still a unit that needs work. Particularly the offensive line and wide receiver positions. Postponing a QB change even for another year could help them down the line. So there is incentive for the Bears to consider such a plan.
