Tag: Bears quarterback competition

Nick Foles called Mitchell Trubisky to congratulate him on winning starting job

Want to know the kind of person Nick Foles is? Look no further than his response to learning that Mitchell Trubisky had won the QB battle.

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If you want to know the kind of person Nick Foles is, look no further than his response to learning that Mitchell Trubisky had won the Chicago Bears’ quarterback competition.

Following a 90-minute meeting with head coach Matt Nagy, where he explained that Trubisky would be the Bears’ starting quarterback, Foles’ first reaction was to call Trubisky and congratulate him.

“It’s not easy when you’re competitive, and one person has to get named the starter,” Nagy told reporters Sunday. “But Nick ended his conversation with me when I told him what we’re gonna do with, ‘Can I call Mitch and congratulate him?’ And if that doesn’t speak to who he is as a human being, I think there is some realness that you all need to understand what kind of guy he is.”

That’s just who Foles is, and it’s who the Bears knew they were getting when they traded for him. Foles is going to do everything to support and help his teammates and do what’s best for this team.

“I’ve just learned to embrace it the best I can through the ups and downs,” said Foles, “so whatever wisdom I can give [Trubisky] as it pertains to the emotions of the game, as it pertains to the plays going into the game, the philosophy, the philosophy, the thought process, how you do third downs, how I think during games. So whatever it is, I look forward to helping him in any way possible.”

While Trubisky won the training camp competition, there’s no guarantee that he’ll play the entire season. History says otherwise, as Trubisky has yet to play a full season. He didn’t start until Week 5 as a rookie and he missed three games between 2018-19 due to injury.

But this case could be different. If Trubisky reverts to his 2019 struggles, the Bears could turn to Foles to save the day. And, luckily, Foles is known for coming off the bench and finding success.

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5 takeaways from Mitchell Trubisky being named Bears’ starting QB

After an underwhelming competition in camp, the Bears have finally chosen their starting QB in Mitchell Trubisky. Here are my takeaways.

After an underwhelming competition in training camp, the Chicago Bears have finally chosen their starting quarterback.

Fourth-year signal caller Mitchell Trubisky will get the nod over veteran Nick Foles in what was a hotly-contested battle that spanned three weeks in training camp. While the decision was surprising, at the same time it wasn’t. Especially after neither Trubisky or Foles managed to pull away in this competition.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy will hold a press conference Sunday, where he’s expected to make the announcement official.

But until then, here are my five takeaways from Trubisky being named Chicago’s starting quarterback.

1. A presumptive tiebreaker went to the incumbent starter

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

While there were challenges with this quarterback battle, the hope was that Trubisky or Foles would pull away in this competition. That obviously didn’t happen, as reports out of camp indicated neither quarterback looked particularly impressive. Even Nagy said Trubisky and Foles “have done a good job at making it difficult.”

Which led to questions about a potential tiebreaker. Who would get the nod? Well, the answer appears to be the incumbent starter with two years of experience in this offense and with Chicago’s personnel. It always felt like Foles was going to have to outright win the job to supplant Trubisky. And with that not happening, Trubisky gets one last chance to prove himself.

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How many games will Bears win in 2020 with Mitchell Trubisky at QB?

The Bears have chosen Mitchell Trubisky as their starting QB. That begs the question: How many games will Chicago win with him under center?

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The Chicago Bears have chosen their starting quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky for the 2020 season. Although with Trubisky’s track record, the Bears are in this for better or worse. At least for the immediate future.

Trubisky beat out — aka won the tiebreaker over — veteran Nick Foles, who the Bears invested draft capital and $21 million guaranteed to bring to Chicago.

Neither Trubisky or Foles impressed during training camp, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise that Matt Nagy ultimately chose to go with the incumbent starter with a higher upside during an offseason where the only reps they could evaluate came in training camp.

While Trubisky won the training camp competition, it’s hard to believe that this battle is over. Especially given that Trubisky’s leash is going to be short given his past struggles and with a veteran that has proven to be most successful coming off the bench in Foles behind him.

We don’t know whether Trubisky will survive the entire season — or just how short that leash is — but the former No. 2 overall pick certainly has an easy go of it in the opening slate of the schedule.

The Bears won’t face a playoff team from a season ago for their first seven games — although they will see a new-and-improved Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad led by future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady.

The first half of Chicago’s schedule is certainly favorable, but they’ll face a difficult stretch in the second half of the 2020 season, where they’ll face a playoff team in seven of their final nine games.

For Trubisky’s benefit, he does have one of the NFL’s top defenses to lean on and there’s nowhere for this offense to go but up. Not to mention he’ll get an opportunity to start hot against the Detroit Lions, a team that he has dominated in the previous three meetings, in Week 1. But that might not be enough to win games — or for Trubisky to keep his job.

What do you think, Bears fans? How many games will Chicago win with Trubisky under center in 2020?

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Check out the new Bears Wire Podcast!

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Twitter reacts to Mitchell Trubisky being named Bears’ starting QB

The Bears are expected to name Mitchell Trubisky the starting QB. And the reaction on Twitter, especially with Bears fans, went as expected.

The Chicago Bears have finally made a decision at quarterback. After an underwhelming quarterback competition, the Bears are expected to name incumbent Mitchell Trubisky the starting quarterback, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

This after a three-week competition between Trubisky and veteran Nick Foles, where neither was impressive or managed to separate himself in the competition. Matt Nagy and his coaching staff evaluated every rep at training camp, from decision-making to situation football. And it appears that, given neither appeared to win the job, Nagy went with the incumbent with two years of experience running this offense in Trubisky.

Now, the former No. 2 overall pick has one last chance to prove himself in Chicago. Although, expect the leash to be short. Especially with Foles, a quarterback known for coming off the bench and winning, sitting just behind him.

The reaction to the Trubisky news on Twitter, especially with Bears fans, went about as expected. Those that were Pro-Trubisky celebrated and those that were Anti-Trubisky raged. Then there are some Bears fans out there hoping that maybe — just maybe — this will finally be the year where Trubisky puts it all together while also trying not to get their hopes up once again.

The good…

The bad…

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The optimistic…

And those whose first reaction was to support whoever was named the starter.

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Bears expected to name Mitchell Trubisky starting quarterback

The Bears appear to have made their decision about who will be their starting QB when they open Week 1 against the Lions.

After an underwhelming quarterback competition, the Chicago Bears appear to have made their decision about who will be their starter when they open Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears are expected to announced Mitchell Trubisky as their starting quarterback. Schefter notes the decision comes due to his progression, leadership and performance during camp.

All offseason, head coach Matt Nagy preached an open and fair competition. But without the benefit of offseason and preseason reps, the battle was always going to be a little difficult in evaluating. The Bears had to get creative in their evaluation, where they graded every rep — everything from decision-making to accuracy to “situational football.”

“Both of these quarterbacks have done a good job at making it difficult,” Nagy told reporters Thursday.

The hope was that Trubisky or Nick Foles would make it easy on Nagy and his coaching staff. But neither Trubisky or Nick Foles managed to separate himself in a three-week long competition. While Nagy clearly would’ve liked to have seen more, he simply ran out of time.

“The longer that things string out, the harder it is for these quarterbacks, the harder it is for our team, and I think that has to carry some heavy weight as well,” Nagy said.

With the Bears declining his fifth-year option, Trubisky has one last chance to prove that he can be the answer in Chicago. But expect the leash to be short. Especially with a Super Bowl champion known for coming off the bench and succeeding just behind him.

The good news for Trubisky? He’ll be opening the season against the Lions, a team that he’s dominated in his last three outings. He completed 68 of 91 passes for 866 yards (74.2%), nine touchdowns and one interception for a quarterback rating of 132.6. Trubisky posted a QB rating above 100 in all three of those games.

Now whether Trubisky will survive an entire season remains to be seen. Especially with a short leash and a proven veteran sitting behind him. The Bears might’ve chosen a starter, but this quarterback competition is far from over.

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Matt Nagy having difficult time choosing Bears starting QB

Bears coach Matt Nagy knows he’s running out of time to choose a starting quarterback ahead of the season opener in just over a week.

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Bears head coach Matt Nagy knows he’s running out of time to choose a starting quarterback ahead of the season opener in just over a week.

The hope was that Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles would make it easy on the Bears in choosing a starter. That obviously hasn’t happened as neither Trubisky or Foles have been impressive or managed to separate themselves in this competition. Which leaves Nagy and his coaching staff in a difficult spot.

“The longer that things string out, the harder it is for these quarterbacks, the harder it is for our team, and I think that has to carry some heavy weight as well,” Nagy told reporters Thursday.

“It’s hurting yourself if you do that, and you need to be able to make a decision to help both of these quarterbacks. And not to mention help our staff, as well. So we are taking all of that into consideration. We want to do it the right way.”

Given the circumstances of this COVID-19 offseason, this competition hasn’t exactly been ideal. Trubisky and Foles missed out on valuable reps in organized team activities and preseason, which would’ve given Nagy and his staff live-game reps to make the most important decision of this preseason.

But after three padded practices where Trubisky and Foles have essentially remained neck and neck, Nagy remains torn on who will ultimately win the job.

“Both of these quarterbacks have done a good job at making it difficult,” he said.

The evaluation will be an in-depth one, as Nagy and his coaching staff will look at every rep — everything from decision-making to accuracy to “situational football.” Nagy also said that each quarterback’s playing history will factor into the decision.

“Both of them, we thought did well,” Nagy said of Trubisky and Foles over the last three weeks of practice. “I know it probably is frustrating in hearing things sound somewhat grey. I completely understand that. But for us, it’s not easy.”

Time is almost up for Nagy, who is expected to announce the starter Monday or Wednesday as the Bears officially begin preparation for their Week 1 contest against the Detroit Lions.

Check out the new Bears Wire Podcast!

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ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky believes Mitchell Trubisky will start Week 1, hints at fundamentals

Former Lions QB and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes Mitchell Trubisky will be the Bears starting quarterback when the season starts.

The Chicago Bears and head coach Matt Nagy still haven’t announced who will be their starting quarterback between Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky as the team gets ready to face the Detroit Lions a week from Sunday.

Former Lions quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes Trubisky will be the Bears starting quarterback when the season starts. On NFL Live, Orlovsky hinted that the 26-year old needs to be consistent with his fundamentals.

Matt Nagy wants to hold off from making a decision as long as he can possibly can, but the Week 1 matchup against the Lions is getting closer.

Trubisky is a perfect 3-0 against the Lions with a 132.4 passer rating. But if he is able to win the job over Foles, this could be his last shot in Chicago.

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Bears’ QB competition is over. Now, Matt Nagy has a decision to make.

The Bears’ QB competition came to an end on Wednesday, and now Matt Nagy has a decision to make between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles.

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The Chicago Bears are still without a starting quarterback with less than two weeks until the season opener against the Detroit Lions. The hope was that there would be a definitive winner between Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles. But that simply wasn’t the case.

Now that the Bears quarterback competition is officially in the books — with only a walkthrough left Thursday before off days on Friday and Saturday — Bears head coach Matt Nagy has an important decision to make.

“It is not easy. It’s not clear-cut,” Nagy said Wednesday. “The way that we look at it as a coaching staff is that sometimes people will say, ‘Well, if you have two quarterbacks, that means you don’t have any.’ But we know what we have in these guys. We feel really good about both of them, and being as brutally honest as I could be, it’s difficult.”

It’s difficult because neither Trubisky or Foles has managed to separate himself in the competition. Both have had decent camps but nothing to write home about. Still, a winner must be decided.

Nagy and his coaching staff will take these next few days to examine every rep that Trubisky and Foles have had during camp and determine the starting quarterback. The announcement is expected to come next week, whether that’s Monday or Wednesday.

“Now what we can do as an offensive coaching staff is we can pull back, we get through [Thursday] and we’ll basically take every clip of every snap of both quarterbacks,” Nagy said. “We are going to get in a room and we are going to sit down and we are going to watch all of these clips.

“And we’re not just going to see, ‘Was it complete or was it incomplete?’ We’re going to dig really hard into the ‘why,’ and then we’re going to look at situational football. And then we’re going to look at what’s around him: ‘Is it 1 v. 2, 2 v. 1?’ And we’re going to just shut the door, we’re going to have our own opinions and then ultimately, in the end, we’re going to make a decision.”

With no organized team activities or preseason reps to go off, this competition hasn’t been ideal. But while there’s been a limited set of reps to evaluate, Nagy believes there’s been enough reps to make a decision.

“We now have a library of film that we can evaluate and critique and judge and make decisions,” he said. “That’s what we’re going to do. And then we’re going to make that decision, we’re going to move forward. Someone’s going to get the job and someone’s not going to get the job, and they’re both going to have to handle that the right way because it’s a long season. And so, in the end, when we all understand that this whole entire organization feels good with both quarterbacks, that’s a good problem to have. Now it’s our job to make it work.”

But you have to wonder — even at this point when no contender has run away with this thing — if Nagy already has his mind made up. Do they roll the dice with Trubisky — give their first-round pick one last chance — or play it safe with Foles and officially turn the page?

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Matt Nagy says Bears will name starting QB next week

The Bears are running out of time to name their starting quarterback, and Matt Nagy says the starter will be announced during game week.

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The Chicago Bears are running out of time to name their starting quarterback between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles. And it certainly hasn’t helped the neither has separated himself from the other in the training camp competition.

On Saturday, Nagy told reporters that he wasn’t going to name the starter until the Week 1 opener against the Detroit Lions. But Nagy insists that he won’t be waiting until game day to make the announcement.

The Bears will announce their starter during game week, which is just under a week from now. Nagy isn’t trying to hide anything. He’s just trying to utilize every available rep that comes with what’s shaping up to be the defining week in this competition.

“What I meant, to keep it real simple, is that there was not going to be a quarterback named this week that we’re in right now,” Nagy told reporters. “There will be no waiting until the middle of the week or the end of the week for that to happen. That wouldn’t be fair to our team and it wouldn’t be fair to the quarterbacks.”

Nagy was then asked if he planned on naming the starter on Monday or Wednesday of game week, to which he played coy.

“Honestly,” he said, “that’s completely (uncertain). Right now, we don’t know that. But it would be in that time frame there somewhere.

“You will know by the time most teams usually know. We’re not hiding anything. What we’re going through for us is this whole process. And we don’t even know that yet, to be quite honest. We’re talking through those situations and what’s best and how to go about it. We’re just really honestly not there yet.”

Given there’s been no preseason reps, Nagy and his coaches have had to get creative in their evaluation. They’re looking at every play — every snap, every throw, every decision. And while we don’t know for certain where Trubisky and Foles stand after two weeks of padded practices, it doesn’t sound reassuring given the reports out of camp practices from media in attendance.

The Bears are waiting for someone to separate himself in the competition. And there’s a good possibility that this thing could end in a draw. But Nagy insists he already has a plan in place should that happen.

One thing is certain: There’s not a lot of confidence surrounding the Bears’ quarterback situation. And it’s even more likely that both Trubisky and Foles see some time this season should things go south.

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Third week of padded practices will be crucial in determining Bears’ starting QB

With less than two weeks until the season opener, the Bears need to make a decision at starting QB between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles.

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With less than two weeks until the season opener, the Chicago Bears still have their biggest question to answer before taking the field against the Detroit Lions. Who will be their starting quarterback – Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles?

It’s a question that doesn’t appear to be any closer to be being answered. Although, it’s a decision that head coach Matt Nagy will have to make sooner rather than later.

This third week of padded practices is going to be crucial in determining the starting quarterback. Mostly because this is the last week before game week in preparation for the Lions in Week 1. The Bears are simply running out of time.

“That will be really good to see where they’re at, and we’re excited for really a lighter practice Monday and then getting into it Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,” Nagy said. “And then we’ve got to make a decision.”

Unfortunately for the Bears, they haven’t been afforded the luxury of preseason games to help in their evaluation. All Nagy has to go off are training camp reps, which isn’t ideal.

It certainly doesn’t help that, at least from the media’s perspective over the last two weeks of practice, neither Trubisky or Foles has separated himself in this battle. While they’ve both had their share of good and bad moments, there’s been nothing flashy to give an edge to one or the other.

There’s a good chance this competition could end in a tie. If it were to come to that, Nagy knows what he would do in that situation. Although he’s certainly not going to show his hand.

“Well, I can tell you we’re definitely not going to toss a coin,” he said. “We’ve had those discussions before this camp even started. We’ve hit every scenario possible. I think it’s a very valid question because you don’t know. You don’t know how it’s going to go.

“You have a guy in Mitch who’s been in this offense for two years. You have a guy with Nick that has been a part of this offense in the past at different levels. What I would do in that situation is make sure that I’m listening to the coaches on our staff, and then whatever decision it is, if it is that close, we go with and we’re open and honest with them and tell them the ‘why’ part.

“But yeah, in certain situations, it could come to that. But we’ll do it together. We’ll make the decision together. In the end, it’s going to end up being my decision as the head coach. But we all do it collectively, which I think will be the good part.”

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