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.
Ryan Pace says the Bears won't comment on picking up Mitch Trubisky's fifth-year option. Re-iterates team has until May to make a decision.
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) April 3, 2020
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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