Chicago Bears training camp is less than three weeks away, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.
It starts at the most important position: Quarterback. And unlike the previous two seasons where Mitchell Trubisky was the unquestioned starter, that’s not the case this season.
Trubisky will have to win the starting job over veteran Nick Foles, who the Bears shelled out a ton of cash and a fourth-round pick in a trade with Jacksonville.
Although, things will remain similar with Tyler Bray serving as Chicago’s third-string quarterback.
Let’s take a look at the quarterbacks heading into training camp.
Mitchell Trubisky
For the first time since his rookie season, Trubisky won’t be the clear-cut starter heading into training camp. This season is Trubisky’s last chance to prove to the Bears that he can be a franchise quarterback, but it’s certainly an uphill climb for the former No. 2 overall pick.
While Trubisky is coming off his worst season as a pro and has been personally challenged by Matt Nagy to become an expert at reading defenses, Trubisky also has advantage over Foles. Considering this quarterback competition can’t begin until camp begins — and given the shortened or potentially non-existent preseason — a small sample size benefits Trubisky, who has previously worked with Bears skill position players.
Nick Foles
While Foles has yet to play an entire season in his eight-year NFL career, he’s poised to take control of the reins in Nagy’s offense. He was essentially hand-picked by Nagy among a slew of experienced veteran quarterbacks on the market, including some that were much more affordable than Foles.
But given Foles’ experience in an offense similar to Nagy’s, including in Philadelphia where he put together an impressive postseason performance in 2017, he was the best fit to not only challenge Trubisky for the starting job but win it. Obviously Foles is at a disadvantage given the small sample size this offseason, as the quarterback competition can’t begin until the start of training camp. Given the shortened preseason — and possibility of there being no preseason at all — Foles doesn’t have the chemistry that Trubisky has with Chicago’s skill position players.
Tyler Bray
Not much has changed since Nagy brought Bray to Chicago to serve as an additional coach in the quarterbacks room. Bray has experience working with Nagy during his time in Kansas City, so he’s well-versed in this offense.
Bray will continue to serve as the practice squad quarterback. If 53-man rosters remain as is, the Bears won’t carry a third quarterback. But with the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bray at some point during the regular season.
