Tag: Bears quarterback competition

Bears coaches reached out to Mitchell Trubisky after trade for Nick Foles

After trading for Nick Foles, Bears coaches told Mitchell Trubisky that he would have the chance to win the starting QB job.

When Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy met the media during a conference call on Friday morning, they immediately set the tone by coming out and saying the team’s quarterback position will be an open competition between newly acquired QB Nick Foles and QB Mitchell Trubisky.

But it seems Trubisky was told right away that he would have a fair shot to win the job.

According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bears coaching staff contacted Trubisky the day they acquired Foles from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a fourth-round pick. Their message to him was that he would have the chance to win the starting job, indicating there would be a fair competition as Pace and Nagy confirmed on Friday.

The fact the Bears coaches immediately reached out to the former North Carolina Tar Heel isn’t surprising. They acted in good faith to Trubisky, who said on many occasions last season that he needed to improve. It’s also another indication that Pace and Nagy may be telling the truth regarding a “fair and honest” competition.

Coupled with the fact that Foles agreed to a contract restructure that would lower his base salary to $8 million per year, it seems both players will actually get a fair shot at becoming the starter.

Trubisky likely wasn’t thrilled with the addition of Foles, but according to Nagy, he’s ready to prove his worth.

“You could feel how much of a competitor Mitch is,” Nagy said to reporters on Friday. “He’s embracing it and he’s excited to get back to work.”

The competition is sure to be the top story when the Bears head to training camp, but it seems we won’t know the Week 1 starter is for quite some time.

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Bears still aren’t ready to commit to Mitchell Trubisky’s 5th-year option

The fact that Bears GM Ryan Pace remains noncommittal on QB Mitchell Trubisky’s fifth-year option speaks volumes.

Mitchell Trubisky’s future in Chicago remains murkier than ever as the fourth-year player is preparing for a battle for the starting quarterback position.

When general manager Ryan Pace last met the media, he reiterated his faith in Trubisky as the Bears’ starter heading into 2020. But considering Trubisky was the only quarterback under contract back in February, it didn’t carry much weight.

Pace has proven that he’s not about talk — he’s about action. And the Bears have pulled back in terms of their overall commitment to Trubisky when they traded for Nick Foles last month.

This time, when Pace met with the media on Friday, he discussed the open competition between Trubisky and Foles. Now, Trubisky’s future as the starter in 2020 is less certain. But we all knew that.

When asked about whether the Bears were choosing to pick up Trubisky’s fifth-year option, Pace once again deflected, reiterating that a decision doesn’t need to be made until May.

But the fact that Pace remains noncommittal on Trubisky’s fifth-year option — even with it being guaranteed only for injury — speaks volumes.

Pace has yet to sign one of his first-round draft picks to a second contract. Following an underwhelming four seasons with the Bears, receiver Kevin White was shown the door. While outside linebacker Leonard Floyd had his fifth-year option picked up last year, the Bears released him just days before the start of the new league year and already had his replacement on ice with Robert Quinn.

Then there’s Trubisky, who finds himself somewhere in between White and Floyd. While Trubisky has shown flashes of good potential, there have also been glaring weaknesses that surely have Bears brass on edge.

It would make sense for the Bears to pick up Trubisky’s fifth-year option only because, for him, it’s not fully guaranteed apart from injury. If Foles beats Trubisky out for the starting job and cements himself as the starter, the Bears could release Trubisky following the season with no harm done. And, even better, if Trubisky actually won the job and performed up to par, they could handle what comes next.

Still, for a team that has shown that it doesn’t have much faith in Trubisky, deciding to pick up Trubisky’s fifth-year option would feel out of character at this point.

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Don’t expect Bears to sit out preseason games this year

Matt Nagy hasn’t been a fan of preseason. But sounds like we’ll see a new approach, with players jockeying for starting jobs, in preseason.

Matt Nagy has made his feelings about preseason football perfectly clear. He’s not a fan. While it’s beneficial in getting some reserve players experience, it’s not exactly ideal for starters considering the injury risk.

Nagy first made a statement when he decided to rest most of his starters during the third preseason game in 2018, which is the “dress rehearsal” game where starters typically play into the third quarter.

But last offseason, Nagy didn’t even let his starters see action from the get-go. While Mitchell Trubisky appeared for one series in the first preseason game, he didn’t attempt a single pass. Other players never even dressed for the preseason.

Well, that approach wasn’t exactly beneficial for the Bears last season, who finished 8-8 with an offense that was among the worst in the NFL. Now, Nagy is going with a new approach, one that will likely see more starters — and players jockeying for starting jobs — playing in preseason.

That’s most likely due to the open quarterback competition between Trubisky and Nick Foles. Nagy explained that both Trubisky and Foles will get equal reps in the preseason. But that’s also not limited to the quarterback position.

But that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily see guys like Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Jackson or Kyle Fuller playing in preseason either.

Nagy insists that, when the quarterback competition opens, that Trubisky will be the first one in the huddle. While there’s no clear-cut starter at this point, Trubisky and Foles’ battle will dominate training camp and preseason headlines.

The NFL plans to start the 2020 season on time, preseason included, although that’s subject to change. So, once the preseason does get under way, expect for those games to mean a tad more than they have in the past couple of years.

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Ryan Pace says Bears starting QB job is an ‘open competition’

In a not-so-surprising reveal, GM Ryan Pace said that the Bears starting QB job will be ‘open competition’ between Trubisky and Foles.

When the Chicago Bears decided to acquire quarterback Nick Foles from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth-round draft pick last month, speculation began to surface on who would be the starting quarterback come September; Foles or Mitchell Trubisky? While there’s no firm answer yet, the team did lay out their plans for the position.

General manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy held a conference call with reporters on Friday morning, their first time meeting the media since the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Right off the bat, Pace addressed what was on everybody’s mind.

“With the addition of Nick Foles, it’s exactly what we talked about from the start. We want to create competition,” Pace said. “We’ve talked to both players, and it’s an open competition.”

Nagy reiterated Pace’s comments and explained that the competition would be open and honest.

“It’s going to be very transparent and very honest,” Nagy said.

While he did reveal Trubisky will be the first person in the huddle when the Bears take the practice field next, he promised the competition would be fair between he and Foles.

“I can promise you this, it’s going to be extremely fair,” he said. “It’s going to be competitive in a good way.”

While there’s no clear starter as of yet, the Bears have showed their hand just three months after publicly stating Trubisky is the starting quarterback heading into 2020. Now, the QB battle will take center stage when the team begins its offseason training program before heading into training camp and the preseason.

Both quarterbacks are coming off lackluster seasons. Trubisky passed for 3,188 yards for 17 touchdowns and 10 picks following a Pro-Bowl season. Foles, meanwhile, broke his collarbone in his first game as a Jaguar and only played in four games, totaling 736 yards with three touchdowns and two picks. Both players will have a chip on their shoulder heading into 2020 with hopes of emerging as the starter.

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ESPN: Mitchell Trubisky has ‘inside track’ in Bears’ QB competition

The Bears will hold an open QB competition with Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles, and Trubisky appears to have the advantage…for now.

Following a disappointing season for Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, the former No. 2 overall pick has been put on notice this offseason.

The Bears traded for former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, and suddenly Trubisky’s future as Chicago’s starting signal caller is in jeopardy. But the addition of Foles doesn’t necessarily mean he’s guaranteed the starting job. And, from the sound of it, Foles will have to beat out Trubisky for the spot.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bears will hold an open quarterback competition with Trubisky and Foles. Fowler noted that Trubisky appears to have the advantage heading into training camp, but there’s no guarantee.

Multiple sources say the Bears will essentially hold an open competition for the top quarterback spot, and though the incumbent will have the inside track, nothing is promised.

While there’s no way to know how the coronavirus pandemic will affect the NFL’s offseason training plans — all team facilities are currently closed — Foles won’t necessarily be at a disadvantage heading into this quarterback competition.

Considering Foles has operated in an Andy Reid offense before, he’s familiar with the system that Matt Nagy runs in Chicago. Still, you figure Trubisky still has the upper hand considering he’s headed into Year 3 of Nagy’s offense, and the Bears have one more year to figure out if there’s anything in Trubisky worth salvaging.

Even if Trubisky managed to win the starting job, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be Chicago’s starter through the entire season. Should Trubisky’s struggles continue in Year 4, the Bears could turn to an experienced veteran that has a proven track record of winning coming off the bench.

But if Foles wins the job, none of this will matter.

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Is QB Mitchell Trubisky in danger of losing his starting job?

GM Ryan Pace kickstarted a QB competition in Chicago when he traded for Nick Foles. Now, Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky’s job is in jeopardy.

Following a disappointing 2019 season for Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, many Bears’ fans were upset and eager to see the former No. 2 overall pick out of town.

After the season ended, general manager Ryan Pace reiterated that “Mitchell Trubisky is our guy for 2020,” but didn’t say if the team would bring in any sort of competition for Trubisky in 2020.

But during free agency, Pace made his intentions clear when he went out and traded for former Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles, kickstarting a quarterback competition in Chicago.

Bleacher Report recently discussed which players are now in danger of losing their starting roles, and Trubisky was listed as one of those players.

With Foles’ ties to the head coach and offensive coordinator, Trubisky shouldn’t feel uncomfortable in the lead spot. He’ll likely start the season under center, but if the 25-year old opens the campaign with zero touchdown passes in five of his first seven outings like he did the last term, the Bears may look for the hook.

In Week 13 last year, the Jaguars benched Foles for 2019 sixth-round Gardner Minshew II, but the eight-year veteran has Super Bowl MVP credentials and knows the Bears system.

Because of Foles’ potential plug-and-play fit, coupled with his starting experience, the coaching staff may have Trubisky on a short leash.

Coming from someone that has supported Trubisky since the day he was drafted, I still think he is the starter even after trading for Foles.

But, Pace and the Bears certainly have Trubisky on a short leash for the 2020 season.

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The Bears have a QB battle heading into 2020 – who wins it?

The Chicago Bears now have a QB battle after trading for Nick Foles in the offseason. The question is: Who starts Week 1, Trubisky or Foles?

Heading into the offseason, Bears fans didn’t know if they’d be stuck with Mitchell Trubisky as the starting quarterback for the 2020 season or if general manager Ryan Pace would bring in some sort of competition for Trubisky.

Well, surprisingly enough, Pace went out and traded a fourth-round compensatory draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. Many thought that this trade absolutely sucked and some thought the trade was a win for the Bears.

After trading for Foles, the Bears restructured his contract, but they inherited the final three years of his contract, which includes a total of $21 million in guarantees.

Some Bears’ fans argue that Foles isn’t much of an upgrade over Trubisky. But then Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes that the Foles trade wasn’t done to push Trubisky — it was done to replace him.

The Bears didn’t give up the 120th pick in the draft and guarantee him more than $20 Million to Foles to have his arrival spark a fire under Mitchell Trubisky.

The Bears don’t have time during the season to determine if things are going to suddenly click for Trubisky. If they struggle offensively from the start and find themselves behind a month into the season, that creates an uphill climb. No matter how the team frames an offseason or training camp competition for the job.

I firmly believe Foles will emerge as Nagy’s guy before the opener

Heading into training camp, the Bears will have a quarterback competition. So who starts Week 1?

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Kyle Long eager for Bears QB competition with Trubisky, Foles

Former Bears RG Kyle Long acknowledged that the QB competition between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles only serves to benefit the Bears.

Get ready, because from now up to the start of the regular season, discussion surrounding the Bears will be centered around the quarterback competition between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles.

One person that’s ready to watch that competition unfold is former Bears right guard Kyle Long. Long acknowledged that this quarterback competition only serves to benefit the Bears.

Long seemed to reiterate the message that has rang loud and clear from general manager Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy this offseason: Embrace competition.

During their press conferences ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, both Pace and Nagy continued to stress that there will be competition at all positions. Competition breeds success, which is certainly what the Bears are banking on.

While confidence appears to be wavering with Trubisky heading into his fourth year, he’ll have something to prove as he battles Foles for one more chance to lead the Bears. Certainly having someone like Foles, who has experience with Nagy’s offense and has won a Super Bowl, only serves to benefit Trubisky.

Whether it’s Trubisky or Foles that ends up getting the starting nod, the quarterback competition should benefit the Bears. Either Foles wins the starting job and provides stability at the position with Trubisky waiting in the wings or Trubisky wins the job and Foles becomes a reliable backup that will continue to push Trubisky.

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Trubisky vs. Foles: Who will be Bears starting QB in Week 1?

The Bears have got themselves a QB competition. Let’s take a look at why Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles would win the starting job.

Let the quarterback competition begin!

The Chicago Bears finally made their move at quarterback this offseason, trading for former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles. The Bears traded away a fourth-round draft pick in exchange for the restructuring of Foles’ contract.

While Foles’ arrival doesn’t signal an immediate end to the Mitchell Trubisky era, it does put the fourth-year quarterback on notice. Chicago got the legitimate quarterback competition it was hoping for between Trubisky and Foles.

As for who wins? That remains to be seen. But let’s take a look at why Trubisky or Foles could win the starting job.

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