The Real, Hidden Reason Why Chicago Bears Drafted Mitch Trubisky

The Chicago Bears pulled off a stunner on Thursday night by drafting quarterback Mitch Trubisky with the second overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. The reason for the pick may surprise you.

This was supposed to be a make-or-break year for both general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox. Coming off two straight sub-par losing seasons under their guidance, the Chicago Bears needed to show vast improvements in 2017. Otherwise, it was likely out-the-door for both of them.

Not anymore. The Bears made a risky gamble in selecting quarterback Mitch Trubisky with the second overall pick. Risky in the sense that they gave up their third and fourth round picks in this year’s draft, in addition to another third round pick in 2018’s draft, just to move up one slot to draft their quarterback of the future.

Having plenty of positional needs to address other than the quarterback position, Bears’ management decided to take a long-term approach with this shocking move. Instead of looking to improve the team this season through drafting players who can contribute right away, they put all their eggs in one basket, drafted a quarterback who will likely sit and learn for at least a full season behind, “now” bridge quarterback, Mike Glennon.

Ultimately, this sudden move was made to buy more time for the Pace/Fox regime. And they likely succeeded in accomplishing just that.

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There was a ton of pressure riding on the shoulders of both Pace and Fox to get the Bears moving in the right direction quickly, before selecting Trubisky. After all, the Bears went all-in on paying Mike Glennon to be their unquestioned starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.

All signs, prior to Thursday night, were pointing towards the Bears gearing up towards making a run at a post-season berth in 2017. Not anymore though. If that was still the case, the Bears wouldn’t have sacrificed multiple picks in this year’s draft to select a promising, yet developmental project at quarterback.

Clearly, this abrupt move made by Pace and management signals their lack of confidence in the team’s ability to contend in the immediate future. As mentioned earlier, Pace and Fox’s respective jobs were likely at stake heading into this season. The strategic move to draft Trubisky was a selfish decision on the part of Ryan Pace, who simply cares most about his own job security.

Pace will ramble on about all the positive quarterback traits that Trubisky possesses. The strong-arm, accuracy to throw in tight windows, along with his mobility and awareness are indeed positives, no doubt.

Still, this pick was made by a nervous general manager. One who clearly doesn’t feel confident that he can piece together a roster that can improve dramatically in one year.

Remember, it’s not hard for a team to show dramatic signs of improvement, after finishing 3-13 last season. Adding five to six additional wins would be considered a pleasant improvement for a Bears’ team, still with many glaring positional needs to address.

Even if Mitchell Trubisky turns into a franchise quarterback, it likely won’t be in 2017. The Bears have maintained all along that Glennon will be the starter this upcoming season.

If the Bears were truly committed to improving this upcoming season, why wouldn’t they have just looked to trade down from the third overall selection spot in the draft? Pace could have acquired multiple early-round picks in exchange for that one pick.

Now, Pace and Fox have the perfect excuse to fall back on if the Bears once again disappoint in 2017. Their excuse will be that they’ll need at least one full-season with Trubisky under center to see if their pick becomes justified for all that they gave up in exchange. And that excuse, will almost certainly buy Pace and Fox more time with the Bears.

Before the draft, it was essentially “playoffs or bust”. Or at the very least, bringing out a much improved, competitive Bears’ squad in 2017.

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Now, that narrative has likely stalled. Waiting to be fulfilled for another time. Likely when Trubisky’s number is called into game-action.

Don’t expect that announcement to happen though, anytime soon. At least if Pace and Fox are still calling the shots.