The Chicago Bears must face a cold, harsh reality about Trubisky

Unfortunately for the Chicago Bears, it is time for them to face a cold, harsh reality.

As a Chicago Bears fan, this is the toughest piece I have ever written. However, being a fan doesn’t mean putting on the blinders, picking up the pom-poms and cheer on the team in a state of ignorant bliss.

Being a fan is about supporting the team, but being honest in your evaluation of their play. So with that as the backdrop, I’ve come to a conclusion that perhaps I should have come to a while ago — and that is that Mitchell Trubisky does not appear to be the quarterback of the future for this franchise. And absent a monumental turnaround, it doesn’t appear he will be the team’s starting quarterback beyond this season — and possibly sooner.

While I have tried my best to remain objective about his play, and have been critical of it at various times, where I have fallen victim as a fan is in my hope that he could turn it around. Look, I’m not naive. I know all about his flaws and have documented them in various pieces over the last couple of years. But where I let my fandom color my objectivity was in my belief that he had the potential to turn it around.

After yesterday’s loss, the reality that he won’t finally set in. The reality is Trubisky was going to need time to develop, having only started 13 games in college. The ascension of the defense, along with the acquisition of Khalil Mack, accelerated that timeline and made them instant contenders. As a result, the pure development of Trubisky took a backseat to finding a balance between developing him, but not putting him in a position to do too much. The Bears were trying to have their cake and eat it too by trying to develop Mitch while turning him into a game manager until he does.

The result is a quarterback whose confidence seems shattered. Even when he has the time, he fails to step up in the pocket, set his feet and deliver a confident strike. All too often, he’s fading to his left or right, or throwing off his back foot. He’s playing like a guy terrified of making a mistake, instead of a guy knowing he can make plays.

He’s regressed significantly since last year, and whether that’s the rest of the league catching up to the offensive scheme or Trubisky’s deteriorating confidence, the fact remains. The other irrefutable truth is that if Trubisky was simply playing at the level of a serviceable quarterback, this team would likely be 5-1 or at worst, 4-2.

But again, the fact remains that he is not. And so where do the Bears go from here? Well, that is an extremely complicated question with no good answers. The free-agent options at quarterback next year are nothing to write home about, and they simply don’t have the draft capital to go get a guy in the first round –meaning anyone they draft will have significant warts of his own.

However, just because the solution isn’t clear, doesn’t mean Ryan Pace should further muddy the waters but insisting Trubisky is the guy. Making the wrong selection at quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick can set your team back years. Doubling down on that mistake would set the team back decades.