For all of the flack that Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky received this season — and there’s been a lot — there’s been one deafening question that analysts and critics alike keep wondering.
Can the Bears win with Mitchell Trubisky?
To be fair, many have already wagered a confident guess. It’s been a resounding NO.
But can the Bears win with Mitchell Trubisky?
It’s a question that’s simple enough, but one that the Bears need to come up with a definitive answer for moving forward. Because, keep in mind, this is a team that has a championship-caliber defense and a handful of offensive weapons. And with each passing season, they’re being wasted.
Ultimately, what critics or fans think doesn’t matter. It’s what general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy believe. Even the players to an extent.
Bears right guard Kyle Long was asked that very question by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Rapoport and Friends, and his answer was quick and to the point.
“The Bears have won with Mitchell Trubisky,” Long said. “We all regressed this year. But unfortunately heavy lies the head that wears the crown, and Mitch is a captain, Mitch is a quarterback.”
Long isn’t wrong. Trubisky has won with the Bears. He went 11-3 last season, missing two games due to injury, and he is 23-18 in his career as a starter for the Bears. Even last season, Trubisky had a winning record of 8-7. The only losing season he’s had as a starter was his rookie season, where he went 4-8.
The 2019 season was as bad as you could’ve imagined. Coming off a 12-4 season with lofty championship expectations, the Bears stumbled to an 8-8 record with plenty of questions that need to be answered.
While Trubisky was a big reason for the offense’s abysmal performance last season, the entire unit as a whole struggled. The Bears have already made moves to help fix the ailing offense, including bringing in four new offensive voices in offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, new quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone.
All signs point to Trubisky being the starting quarterback heading into 2020 — from Pace’s public commitment to the hirings of Lazor and DeFilippo.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what another set of eyes, from a coaching perspective, can give Mitch,” Long said, “and I’m looking forward to seeing him develop.”
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