What to expect out of Chicago Bears quarterback Mike Glennon in 2017

Taking a deep dive into Chicago Bears starting quarterback Mike Glennon to see how he will perform in 2017.

For the first time since 2008, the Chicago Bears will enter the season with someone other than Jay Cutler as their starting quarterback. While Mitch Trubisky is undoubtedly the future at the quarterback for the Bears, Mike Glennon is primed and ready to be their starter in 2017.

Before trading up and drafting Trubisky with the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Bears signed Glennon to a three-year free agent contract worth $45 million.

The free agent market was not exactly loaded with high-level quarterback options, but the Bears investing that kind of money in Glennon seemed silly at the time. He was a backup quarterback who did not seem to have another team interested in him as a starter and the Bears still gave him legitimate starter money.

That being said, we should still keep an open mind about Glennon. We know that Trubisky is the quarterback of the future for the Chicago Bears, but if Glennon plays well in 2017, they could use him as a significant trade chip prior to the 2018 season. Perhaps an unlikely scenario, but certainly not impossible.

Back to the draft

To get an idea of what to expect out of Glennon in 2017, I first want to look all the way back to him as a quarterback prospect in the 2013 NFL Draft. The NFL.com scouting report on Glennon seems to paint a pretty accurate picture.

"“Uses his height to see receivers running open in the short and medium ranges, making accurate throws to lead them into open areas after the catch. His long legs don’t prevent him from running a pro-style attack, as he seems able to work from under center and run bootlegs. Arm strength is certainly sufficient to distribute the ball all over the field, and he can place it between defenders over the middle when his target sits down in zones.”“His average foot quickness will cause him issues trying to avoid defenders in a collapsing pocket. Tends to retreat instead of stepping up to deliver in the face of pressure — though his arm gives him a chance to get the ball out of bounds or find an open target while still backpedalling. And while he has the arm and tight spiral to threaten defenses with the deep ball, his inconsistent accuracy and reading of coverages keep him from being efficient in the vertical game.”"

A lot of good information there. Basically, Glennon had a big arm, but inconsistent accuracy and no mobility in the pocket.

Primarily because of his impressive arm strength, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Glennon in the third round (73rd overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. Glennon was the third quarterback taken in a weak overall class at the position.

A lot of early playing time

After an ugly 0-3 start, the Bucs turned to Glennon in Week 4 of his rookie season. He would start the remaining 13 games of their season, leading a poor team to a 4-9 record in his starts. As a rookie, a Glennon completed 59% of his passes for 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. For a third-round rookie quarterback, Glennon was not too bad.

Digging into Glennon’s NFL tape

Glennon still has a big arm and that is clearly his number one asset. However, he always seems afraid to use it. Instead of pushing the ball down the field looking for a big play, Glennon always seems to opt for the check down play. Sure, there are times when a check down is the best option, but Glennon seems to opt for this route far too often.

Plus, the concerns about his accuracy from the draft proved to be legitimate. Glennon is simply not a very accurate passer, struggling to lead his receivers with any sort of consistency. Being an accurate passer is the single most important trait of an NFL quarterback and Glennon has simply not shown that ability.

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His lack of mobility has also been a major issue. Glennon does not like to move out of the pocket and does not do a great job of eluding pressure when he has to. When the pass rush gets close, you might as well count on it being a sack.

To be fair, this is all based on a relatively small sample size. Glennon never got a full opportunity as the starting quarterback in Tampa Bay and a huge part of his sample came from three and four years ago. It is perfectly possible that he has grown significantly as a quarterback since his last real opportunity and could become a solid stop gap option for the Bears.

Not too optimistic

However, based on the information that we have, I am not expecting that to happen. Honestly, I do not have high hopes from Glennon as the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears in 2017. His strong arm brings a bit of upside, but he has never shown the ability to use it properly in the past. Plus, the lack of accuracy is a major concern, as is his lack of mobility (especially considering the Bears’ starting right tackle is Bobby Massie).

I predict that Glennon will struggle out of the gate for the Bears. He may flash some upside at times, but it will be clear that he is not going to be a major asset for the team early in the season. With poor play from Glennon, the Bears quickly fall out of postseason contention and eventually turn to Trubisky as their starting quarterback. He is the future of the team anyway, they might as well give him an opportunity to get his feet wet.

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While the Bears did sign Glennon to a three-year deal, luckily, they can get out of the contract without major penalty after this season. Based on what we have seen out of him in the past, I fully expect Glennon to be a bust in 2017 and the Bears to release him after the season.

I honestly hope that I am wrong about this assessment, but Glennon has not shown anything that suggests it will happen.

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