Chicago Bears: Shortened preseason impacts quarterback competition

How does a shortened preseason impact the Chicago Bears quarterback competition?

As if the Chicago Bears quarterback competition hasn’t been a big headache to monitor already, things are now about to get crazier than ever. On Wednesday afternoon, it was reported that the NFL is planning to cut preseason down to just two games.

After virtually working out all offseason, the Bears were looking forward to returning to Halas Hall and finally beginning a competition that everyone is waiting to see. Head coach Matt Nagy, who revamped the offensive staff this offseason, will now need to figure out ways to split reps between Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky.

Right now, many seem to think that Foles will be the automatic starter, simply due to his extensive resume that includes a Super Bowl, as well as a Super Bowl MVP award. The most notable accomplishment of Trubisky’s career? Being picked second overall back in 2017.

Were this competition to take place in any other offseason, it would be simple. Trubisky and Foles would faceoff in OTA’s, mini-camp, training camp, and preseason, giving both quarterback, as well as the coaching staff an opportunity to showcase what they can do.

What Nagy, as well as offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, will need to do now is get creative. Get creative in terms of figuring out how to evaluate both quarterbacks the best evaluation takes place during actual games and not practice.

Last year, Nagy opted to keep starters out of preseason games. This year, the plan was to have starters play in at least three games. However, now, considering the entire roster will play in just two games, Foles and Trubisky will need to make every rep count.

There are impacts for both Foles and Trubisky. Foles, despite being familiar with the offensive staff, had an up-and-down season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, leading many to wonder how exactly he’ll rebound in 2020, especially in such an uncertain offseason.

For Trubisky, questions center around how 2020 is his final straw and whether or not he’ll be able to beat an experienced veteran like Foles. Trubisky’s 2019 season, which he played with an injured shoulder, wasn’t very encouraging, leading many to believe that he should just be benched for 2020.

Overall, a shortened preseason isn’t good for the Bears quarterback competition. The position that continues to haunt the Bears franchise faces yet another obstacle that Nagy, as well as the rest of the Bears organization will need to figure out how to navigate.