Chicago Bears fans get very defensive when it comes to QB Mitch Trubisky. It’s understandable, too. It’s been a long time — a very, very long time — since this team had a quarterback capable of winning a Super Bowl, and that includes the Jay Cutler era.
Trubisky has the best chance of being that guy since, well, Jim McMahon. He may not be a perfect passer, but he’s certainly good enough to make big-time completions when the team needs it most. He’s also a heck of a playmaker when the pocket breaks down and he has to trust his athleticism to move the sticks.
And let’s not forget: He’s entering just his second full season as a starter. Sure, he started 12 games in 2017, but that was in an archaic offense with a head coach (John Fox) who was knee-deep in his retirement planning.
His upside is undeniable, especially with Matt Nagy calling plays.
Regardless, Trubisky isn’t a favorite among the graders at Pro Football Focus, who ranked him as the 26th-best QB in the NFL.
There’s a disconnect between Trubisky’s statistical output and his throw-by-throw performance last season, and it’s a big year in his development. He had impressive moments as a rookie and a few top-notch performances last year, though his 63.6 overall grade ranked just 29th in the league despite ranking 17th in passer rating during the regular season. Trubisky went from one of the worst play-calling/playmaker situations to one of the best, and that was a big reason for his statistical success.
If Bears fans are being honest, they’ll admit there were more than a handful of throws in 2018 they’d like to see Trubisky hit. But time and patience are required if a young quarterback is going to develop into an elite starter.
All indications from training camp suggest Trubisky is on a much more advanced level of understanding of Nagy’s offense and ready to take ownership of the system. If so, he should naturally climb this ranking next year this time.
It does seem odd, however, that Kyler Murray (Cardinals) is ranked three spots higher than Trubisky without attempting his first NFL pass yet. There’s an argument to be made that Trubisky should be ranked higher than Marcus Mariota (Titans), too, who’s in a training camp battle with Ryan Tannehill for the starting job.
For PFF’s complete QB rankings, click here.
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