QB Mitchell Trubisky, taken by the Bears with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 draft, will always be compared to draftmates Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, who were selected that year at No. 10 and No. 12, respectively, and who obviously have enjoyed quite a bit more on-field success than Trubisky has. Chicago declined Trubisky’s fifth-year option for 2021, and he ultimately had to settle for a backup job with the Bills, spending all of last season as Josh Allen‘s clipboard holder and Buffalo’s scout-team quarterback.
All is not lost for the UNC product, however. Former Bears HC Matt Nagy received his walking papers last month, and Nagy’s inability to get much of anything out of his offense in his four years at the helm has reinforced the notion that Chicago’s issues may have had more to do with the coach than the QB. And as Katherine Fitzgerald of the Buffalo News recently wrote, Trubisky and the organization believe his year with the Bills has helped him grow as a player.
Brian Daboll, who spent the 2018-21 seasons as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator before recently being hired as the Giants head coach, said, “[Trubisky’s been] a good addition for us. I think he’s made strides in his game, both mentally and physically.” Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who appreciated Trubisky’s selflessness when running the scout team offense, also saw growth, saying, “The way he comes to practice every day, you wouldn’t know that he’s not a starter currently in the league or the fact that he was a former starter.”
Trubisky himself said of the Bills offense, “It’s a lot less restricted than what I’ve been in in the past. The quarterback has a lot more freedom to make checks, go where he wants with the ball, exploiting matchups and getting the optimal play for this team. So it’s been a really fun offense to learn, and I feel like it’s really quarterback friendly once you get it down.”
Although players like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo and Watson could be available on the trade market this offseason, there are teams that might consider signing Trubisky to compete for a starting job, knowing that they will at the very least have a quality backup. Clubs like the Steelers and Daboll’s Giants could make some sense in that regard, and Trubisky has also been loosely connected to the Browns in early rumors.
Interestingly, Bills GM Brandon Beane said he received some interest from Trubisky in advance of the 2021 trade deadline, but he rebuffed those inquiries because of Trubisky’s fit on a team that had designs on making a championship run. Beane understands that Allen’s physical style of play makes him more of an injury risk than other passers, and as such, he wants Trubisky back if the right opportunity does not materialize for him elsewhere.
“If anybody calls me about Mitch on another team, I’m going to give him a great recommendation,” Beane said. “And I’ve told him and his agent, if he doesn’t get what he wants, we’ve got a spot for him.”
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