Mitchell Trubisky was named the Bears backup quarterback ahead of their Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons. When will he pass Mike Glennon and become the starter?
Mitch Trubisky, the overall number two pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, is just a heartbeat away from seeing live game action after Chicago Bears head coach John Fox named him the second string quarterback and Mike Glennon’s primary backup. Mark Sanchez will be relegated to the third string duties and will most likely serve as the emergency quarterback on Sundays.
Mitchell Trubisky will be the #Bears #2 QB. "He earned that spot," said John Fox.
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) September 6, 2017
This is HUGE in the development of the future franchise quarterback. Being the #2 QB, Trubisky will get extra reps in practice and will have to stay sharp as he could be called upon at any time. It also proves that what we watched in the preseason wasn’t a fluke; Trubisky is ready for prime time.
Mike Glennon remains the starter for now, promised the 2017 season, but when will Trubisky supplant him as the starter? If the Bears brass are true to their word and Glennon stays healthy, the answer would be 2018. If the Bears are out of contention or Glennon is horrible, you’d have to think the Bears take the shrink wrap off Trubisky and let him loose.
Last season, the Bears started three different quarterbacks, so there’s a good chance we’ll see Trubisky at some point in 2017. It’s been since 2009, Jay Cutler’s first as a Bear, that a Bears quarterback started all sixteen games.
Chicago Bears
Let’s assume that the season goes the way we hope it doesn’t go and the Bears start the season 0-4. That’s entirely possible with the Atlanta Falcons, at Tampa Bay, hosting Pittsburgh and at Green Bay the first four weeks. Would the Bears consider unleashing Trubisky on the road at Baltimore in Week 5?
A natural break point would be following the bye week, hosting their biggest rivals the Green Bay Packers in Week 10. The second half of the season offers a little bit of a break in the schedule with cellar dweller teams from 2016 like the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns on the docket.
Do the Bears wait until they’re mathematically eliminated from playoff contention? Depending on how they do to start the season, that could come later in the year. It’s certainly possible
It’s certainly possible the Bears surprise the NFL and become a Cinderella team and Glennon, who hasn’t started a game in over two years, can lead a playoff push behind an ascending defense and a strong running game. If Jordan Howard can find some running lanes and Glennon can manage the offense, control the clock and limit turnovers, maybe Trubisky never sees the field. I didn’t think so either.
For me, I’m placing my bets on the Packers game in Week 10. By then, I expect the Bears could be 1-7 or 2-6 and the Bears will be eager to shake things up. What do you think? When will Trubisky start his first game, assuming no injury to Glennon.