It should be easy to replace Mitch Trubisky, but what will it actually take for Chicago Bears fans to be happy with the team’s quarterback situation?
No one can blame Chicago Bears fans for feeling the way they do. In an offseason of historic proportions at the quarterback position, their team is sticking with Mitchell Trubisky.
It’s a pain that doesn’t go away. It doesn’t, however, have to be permanent. The ultimate question in the soul searching for the right quarterback is what will make Bears fans actually happy?
Chicago made a commitment to Mitch Trubisky as their starting quarterback for 2020, but that’s hardly guaranteed and they have a decision coming on his fifth-year option. Making a move to add a veteran signal caller now seems to be on the radar, and it’s easy to see said veteran becoming legitimate competition for Trubisky.
Fortunately, from a certain perspective, free agency and to a lesser degree the trade market offer some options for the Bears. But they also don’t have a lot of cap space to work with ($16.3 million right now).
Replacing Trubisky, or at least adding competition for him, feels like it should be easy. But what exactly will it take to make Bears’ fans happy with the team’s quarterback situation?
The cream of the free agent crop is Tom Brady, and while it’s hard to say he’d never sign with the Bears let’s safely rule him out. Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota stand out as more realistic free agent targets, depending on how the rest of their respective markets takes shape. Case Keenum may also be on the radar, but he is a close clone of previous backup Chase Daniel and hardly seen as a real candidate to replace Trubisky.
With former Bengals’ offensive coordinator Bill Lazor now in the same job for the Bears, Andy Dalton is an easy trade target. Cam Newton is another possible trade target for Chicago, and if he’s healthy he’d surely come right in to start over Trubisky. If the Colts look elsewhere for a quarterback, Jacoby Brissett may surface as a trade candidate and the Bears would probably be on a list of suitors.
Bears’ fans would probably love to have Newton or Bridgewater come in and instantly push Trubisky down to No. 2 on the depth chart, and if nothing else Winston is interesting. But it’s more likely that a milquetoast option like Dalton or Mariota is brought in, and when Trubisky is benched in favor of whoever somewhere around Week 4 the switch won’t be too inspiring.