That had to be a tough call to make. I hope my football team has the balls to make a similar call if our guy doesn't make a quantum leap into stardom some time in the next two years.
It’s not a hard decision to make; it’s not like he has not had weapons. They have a good defense that did more than what’s expected from a defense, kept them in many games. Anyone who watches them play can realize he is not a good QB.
Trubisky made the Pro Bowl his second year. You better believe this was a hard call for them. If they have to franchise him next year they will be down about $8M on the decision and will have used up a wiggle room year in the process. 2021 - $22M, 2022 - about $32M on the tag, 2023 at least $38M on the tag. Total cost of option at least $92M over 3 years. 2021 - about $30M on the tag, 2022 at least $36M on the tag, 2023 at least $43M on the tag. Total cost of tagging at least $109M over 3 years. The market price may go up dramatically based on the Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson contract situations. All it takes is 3 35M+ a year contracts and the tag option goes through the roof. The safe move was to pick up the fifth year option and then get rid of Trubisky before the next league year if he didn't earn it in the competition with Foles this year.
Teams are looking at a number 2 overall pick from a Return On Investment perspective. Making the Pro Bowl as an alternate is not something I would be taking into consideration as a GM. He constantly misses wide open receivers, relying on short passes that get him 3000 yards for the season and dropping it off to the RB as their bread and butter play is not what’s expected from a FQB. The only way this will hurt them is if he explodes for a 5000 yard season, 35 TDs and 10 interceptions and leads them to a championship game or SB appearance, another Wild Card round is not acceptable. He’s on his way to becoming Andy Dalton, and I’m being generous when I say that.
All he has to do is get 4000 yards, 25 TD's and 12 Int's and lead them to 10-6 and the playoffs and they are behind the 8-ball big time - forced either to begin the franchise nonsense or to let him go on the open market. It's not a great spot to be in for them. Preserving their cheaper options via the fifth year option was definitely a better option on their part. That only blows up in their face if he gets hurt and the damage is limited to one season. I'm a strong believer in the damage that QB contracts due to teams, however this was a one-off that gave them more options down the road.
The only thing keeping the Bears in football games is their defense, they are 4th in points allowed, when that defense becomes average again, and or if Bears keep Mitchel, with his pedestrian QB ability they will sink to a 4-6 win team. I have to give them credit, for not wanting to hang on to what they believe is not the answer to their QB position. This could end up turning into a Kirk Cousins like situation.
I can't see that happening though. The 2018 Bears had an extremely favorable schedule that caught both the Vikings and Packers in down seasons, while also playing the AFC East. They still should've beat the Eagles in the playoffs and what not. But Trubisky will be a very good backup before long. He wasn't ready coming out and he's glued his career together by running around like an idiot in the backfield out of necessity and dumping it off to his backs. I think the Bears made the right call. I think they made the absolute wrong call in giving up a draft pick for Nick Foles. They should've went the Cam Newton or Jameis Winston route. That team becomes a threat with one of those QB's on the roster. And they'd easily win the competition vs. Trubisky. But the NFL is built on not hurting the feelings of highly drafted quarterbacks that experience moderate success.
The thing to remember is that guaranteeing the fifth year option for 2021 didn't do anything at all to the 2020 team or cap. It wouldn't have done anything to the 2021 team or cap that the Bears did not want to do unless Trubisky got injured and was still injured at the end of the season. Not exercising the option gives the Bears fewer options down the road - unless they believe they could sign Trubisky cheaper for 2021 if he didn't take off next year. Just one man's point of view: I think the Bears odds on re-signing Trubisky to a better deal than the fifth year option are pretty low at this point. If he sucks next year they're just going to let him go, which is what they'd have done with the fifth year option anyway. If he's in the maybe he is/maybe he isn't category he'll be there for more teams than just the Bears - so they'll have to franchise him anyway at an increased cost over the fifth year option. If he has a good year and proves himself, well then they are paying a lot more than the fifth year option for him with the franchise tag and they have given away a year of leverage in bargaining for the longterm deal. Choosing not to use the fifth year option on him just gave away something for no real return. Teams that do that generally regret it down the road. The way they look the smartest right now is if he just sucks next year and that's also a huge negative for the franchise.
I wonder if Pace feels his seat warming up a bit. He traded up to get the 3rd best QB prospect in that draft, then went all in by giving up two 1st rounders for Mack.
I can't think of any multiple first round pick trades that ever really worked out. Trading first round picks by themselves for one player usually hurts franchises as well.
Trubisky is more than likely going to be the backup QB this season for the bears. How tough of a decision could it have been? They can always transition tag him for the same number as picking up his option if Foles were to get injured and Trubisky finally managed to show them something. Really not a difficult decision at all
Yeah, except when he played against the Jets. All of sudden that scrub was like fckn Super Man. Trubisky gonna Trubisky, but the Jets gonna Jet and guess who blinked first?
It's so not funny it becomes funny by default. Survival tactics, we have that down. Shows like 'Naked and Afraid', see how I laugh. Why would I even bother tuning into that trash? All I have to do is put on (insert the debacle of your choice HERE) and somehow manage to live through it again. I could probably survive in the Australian outback without water for a month based on how many years I've been a Jets fan.
I hope he ends up winning a Super Bowl somewhere, just so the Bears can look like morons for both trading up to get him and then cutting him.
