Advice to Bears: Ditch woeful Mitch Trubisky for now

The Bears' abrupt exit from last season’s playoffs was traumatic, but there was little reason for Chicago to be glum about its long-term prospects. 

In its first season under head coach Matt Nagy, Chicago improved from 5-11 to 12-4 and secured the team’s first playoff berth in eight seasons. Nagy’s reputation as an offensive guru reflected in the quick progression of quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who emerged from an unexceptional rookie year under John Fox to become a promising starter. With a suffocating defense that thrived on rushing the passer, the Bears seemed primed for regular contention for years.

Yet here we are, halfway through 2019, and the Bears have already exceeded their loss total from a year ago. Chicago is almost at the point where it can wave the white flag.  Most blame the quarterback.

Several of Trubisky’s weaknesses apparently were obscured by Nagy’s play-calling prowess last season, and they have been exposed by opponents in 2019. Sunday’s loss in Philadelphia was Trubisky's worst outing yet, and that includes the loss to Green Bay at home in the league’s season opener -- a game in which the Bears' offense appeared as though it was stuck in mud.

By just about every metric, Trubisky has fallen off from his Pro Bowl season of 2018. Against the Eagles, he was a pathetic 10-for-21 for 125 yards and zero touchdowns. Those are the type of numbers a rookie puts up in his first few outings as he’s testing the waters of the NFL, or perhaps a backup does in emergency duty. Philadelphia played a lot of man coverage, more than usual, essentially daring Trubisky to beat it, and he simply couldn’t. In his six full-game appearances this season, he has gone without a touchdown pass four times, and has posted a yards-per-attempt rate below the league average (7.4) five times. 

At 3-5, Chicago is last in the NFC North and still has road games remaining against the Rams, Packers and Vikings, not to mention a home game against the Chiefs in late December, well after Pat Mahomes should return to full health. The defense is still strong, but it has an increased burden because the offense can’t put together sustained drives to keep it off the field. 

This is why the Bears should have turned to Chase Daniel against the Eagles, and why they should use him for the remainder of this season -- or at least until Chicago is eliminated from contention. 

It’s true the franchise has invested a lot in Trubisky -- money, time, and draft capital beyond the second overall pick they used on him in 2017. The Bears traded their own first-round pick -- the No. 3 overall pick -- two third-round picks and a fourth-rounder to move up one spot to get him.

It’s not a surprise that Trubisky’s development has come in fits and starts in the pros, as he was only a starter in college for one year at North Carolina before declaring for the draft. I’m not suggesting Chicago abandon him, but a benching would be smart for Trubisky and for the team while the Bears still have a chance to salvage their season. At the least, a break would allow Trubisky to escape the media pressure.

There’s a reason the Bears have invested in Daniel, notorious for being one of the most expensive backup quarterbacks in the league despite rarely playing. He has made about $30 million despite only starting five games in his 10 years in the NFL. That’s pretty good work if you can get it, but it’s time somebody makes him demonstrate his value. 

Daniel probably won’t take the starting job for a sustained period. He has demonstrated he can be accurate (69.2 % career completion percentage), and if he can string drives together and game manage well, the Bears could steal wins on the strength of their defense alone. 

If Daniel falters and Chicago falls out of contention, by all means bring Trubisky back and let's see if he can progress.  Asked repeatedly whether he considered benching him at halftime in Philly, Nagy said he didn’t. The inflexibility of the head coach and general manager Ryan Pace is understandable to a degree, as taking any quarterback high is always betting big and staking your reputation on one player. Still, they must swallow their pride and realize their job security is most likely fine through this season. 

Giving Trubisky a breather isn’t admitting defeat. Rather, it’s giving the team an option that makes sense for the short term. There are examples of quarterbacks drafted high who had rocky starts, got benched, and found their way later on. (Remember Alex Smith?) Trubisky has shown enough to believe he’s not a lost cause. The Bears should have enough faith to know he could survive a benching.