Four years ago in the draft, the Bears made a move to address the most important position on the team. Although Mitch Trubisky didn’t become what two of the quarterbacks taken after him became, the Bears have not yet ruled out continuing the relationship for a fifth season.
Contrary to an ESPN report that the Bears plan to let Trubisky leave via free agency, a source with direct knowledge of the situation tells PFT that a Trubisky return has not been ruled out. Likewise, Trubisky has not been informed that the Bears won’t attempt to bring him back.
Trubisky will be able to sign with anyone he wants on Wednesday, and his agent officially can start negotiating with other teams on Monday at noon ET. If he stays in Chicago, he’d have a good chance to start. If he leaves, it’s unclear what his status would be.
Some teams may see him as a backup at best, and the contractual offers would surely reflect that mindset, if that’s the case. Other teams may view him as a fallback if their Plan A (or B or C) falls through.
The Bears quite possibly view Trubisky as an insurance policy at the position, if other options don’t pan out. They’re still believed to be interested in trying to trade for quarterback Russell Wilson, although that won’t be easy to pull off.
Trubisky won the starting job entering the 2020 season. Abruptly benched later that month, he re-inherited the job after an injury to Nick Foles and held onto it for the balance of the season, helping the Bears to an unlikely playoff berth. Along the way, the Chicago offense adjusted to Trubisky, and in so doing improved.