Since being selected with the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has had a rollercoaster start to his professional career. After earning Pro Bowl honors in his second season and leading Chicago to 11 wins, Trubisky’s inconsistent performance last year could jeopardize his future as the Bears’ starting signal-caller.
With Trubisky entering the final year of his rookie deal, the Bears are reportedly ready to get him off the books. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bears won’t pick up Trubisky’s fifth-year team option. Trubisky will hit the open market once free agency begins next March.
The #Bears are declining the fifth-year option on QB Mitch Trubisky, source said.
The team has liked Trubisky’s attitude since the Nick Foles trade and it’ll be an open competition. A chance for Trubisky to make himself a lot of money before his contract expires next March.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 2, 2020
Of course, even if the Bears did opt to exercise their fifth-year option for Mitchell Trubisky, it’s not a guarantee that he would be the starter in Chicago moving forward. Following his disappointing campaign in 2019, Matt Nagy and the Bears went out and acquired veteran QB Nick Foles from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After serving as a backup for the Philadelphia Eagles, Foles finally got his payday from Jacksonville last offseason, inking a four-year, $88 million deal. With training camp still up in the air due to the coronavirus outbreak, all signs point to an open competition for the Bear’s starting job during the 2020 preseason.
Trubisky possesses the requisite size and athleticism to be a quality starter, but his inability to deliver an accurate football at times has hurt his chances of developing into a franchise QB. Indications clearly show the Bears are also far from sold on Trubisky, setting the stage for 2020 to be the most important season in Trubisky’s football career. If Trubisky delivers, he could be in line for a huge payday but if not, the UNC product is likely looking at a career as an NFL backup.
