Following a disappointing 2019 season, the Chicago Bears will be looking to redeem themselves in 2020. But in order to do that, they need a much better effort on offense.
While there were no shortage of issues on offense for Chicago last season, quarterback was arguably the biggest. Mitchell Trubisky regressed in his third season, and general manager Ryan Pace was forced to bring in reinforcements in the form of former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
Trubisky and Foles will battle for the starting job in training camp and preseason, and the Bears are hoping that the guy that emerges victorious can lead this offense in 2020.
For many, the early favorite is Foles, who already has experience in a Matt Nagy-like offense. Pro Football Focus believes the Bears quarterback competition will be the battle to watch in training camp, but they believe Foles gives Chicago the best chance to return to the playoffs.
The Bears have indicated that this will be a legitimate competition between Foles and Trubisky, but it’s hard to imagine Foles isn’t the starter in 2020. He’s simply the better quarterback. The highs for Foles have been pretty high — namely his 2013 season with the Eagles (eighth-highest passing grade in the NFL) and his back-to-back elite performances during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in 2017.
To be fair, the lows have been pretty low, but Foles has shown a ceiling that Trubisky hasn’t to this point. That gives the Bears a better chance of getting back to the postseason in 2020 than if they were to roll with Trubisky.
Just one year removed from the postseason, the Bears struggled en route to a 8-8 record. Trubisky’s regression certainly contributed to that, and Pace understands that Chicago’s Super Bowl window is closing.
Given the Bears’ championship-caliber defense, they don’t need an MVP-like performance out of their quarterback. They just need a quarterback that can effectively run the offense. Right now, the decision to trade for Foles indicates they don’t believe Trubisky is that guy. Perhaps Foles is.
Ultimately, the better quarterback should win this battle. Whether that’s Foles or Trubisky remains to be seen, but it’ll be a focal point leading up to the 2020 regular-season opener.
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