The Chicago Bears need to confirm what they have in their investment
Not only did Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears draft Mitchell Trubisky in 2017, but Pace also traded up one spot to grab him. This alone has many fans up in arms and doubtful of Trubisky to begin with. Fans were already off the Trubisky bandwagon before he saw the practice field his rookie year. The former Ohio Mr. Football was likely never used to that type of adversity and negativism, but if he wants to survive in the NFL he needs to find a way to ignore it.
With that said, Pace and the Chicago Bears need to confirm what they have in their investment. When you spend that type of draft capital in a player who has shown success, even if somewhat inconsistent, you need to confirm he is not the best option for your team before casting him off as a “bust”. With the limited offseason workouts and no preseason games this year, Foles would have to be above and beyond better than Trubisky in training camp to make the switch before Week 1.
Foles himself has an inconsistent career. This is why he has been a career backup and finds himself on his fifth team. What Foles has proven he can do well is to come off the bench and fill in the longterm. This is how he found his way into the starting role during the Eagles playoff run in 2017. The ability to come in off the bench or start the following week without knowing he’d be the starter is what makes Foles most valuable.
If the Bears were to start Foles first and have to go to Trubisky later, I do not envision the same type of successful transition. Trubisky needs his reps and deserves the first crack in Week 1 versus the Lions. The best option for the Bears longterm is Trubisky flipping the switch this year and proving all his doubters wrong.
If he does not start in Week 1, I do not see how he finds a way to prove this to be true. This is why it is more logical to start the year with Trubisky under center opposed to Foles. If Trubisky does not show enough in Week 1 or if he does well but plays poorly in Week(s) 2 (and 3), then you make the switch to Foles knowing how well he can transition into that starting role.