Chicago Bears: QB Matt Barkley’s Ceiling yet to be Determined
By Gau Bodepudi
QB Matt Barkley has been a pleasant surprise for the Chicago Bears. Bears fans are cautiously optimistic.
When the Chicago Bears announced QB Matt Barkley would be their starting quarterback against the Tennessee Titans in week 11, it was bad news to most. Prior to then, he didn’t have a very impressive track record.
Barkley was drafted in 2013 by the Philadelphia Eagles. He made four appearances as a backup during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. In those four games, he was 30 for 50 on his passes, threw 300 yards, and had a 60% completion rate. Not terrible, but more alarmingly he threw 0 touchdowns, threw 4 interceptions, had 1 fumble, and averaged a quarterback rating of just 42.1.
The Eagles traded Barkley to the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, who later released him in September 2016. The Bears moved quickly and picked him up to their practice squad the following day.
After QB Jay Cutler suffered a thumb injury in week 2, the Bears promoted Barkley to the 53-man active roster. Barkley made his next NFL appearance in week 7 against the Green Bay Packers, where he stepped in for an injured QB Brian Hoyer.
In that game, he was 6 for 15 on his passing attempts, threw for 81 yards, and had a 40% completion rate. Similar to his prior outings, though, he threw 0 touchdowns, threw 2 interceptions, and had a quarterback rating of just 18.3.
Given Barkley’s prior performance, when QB Jay Cutler was sidelined with a shoulder injury and Barkley was named as a starter for week 11, many saw this as another disastrous turn for an already demoralizing, losing season.
To most people’s surprise, Barkley has given hope for optimism. Despite a 1-2 start, he has shown potential to be a viable quarterback in this league. Particularly, he’s shown the ability to improve and overcome adversity within the games themselves.