What would you think of Mitch Trubisky if he beat the Packers on Sunday?
How would you feel about the Bears’ fourth-year quarterback if he led his team to the playoffs for the second time in the three years he’s been paired with head coach Matt Nagy? And improved his record as the starter in that time period to 26-12? And this year’s record to 7-2, with his last loss a month ago?
Then would Trubisky be legitimate in the eyes of his critics?
What would you think about a quarterback who, entering Sunday’s showdown, has led the Bears to 140 points in the last four games — which, albeit against bad defenses, ranks second-most in the NFL? And whose 108.5 passer rating during that span trails only Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Philip Rivers and Josh Allen? And who ranks in the top 10 in yards per pass attempt, and top five in completion percentage, this month?
If the Bears lose to the Packers and the Cardinals beat the Rams, Sunday’s game very well could be Trubisky’s last in navy and orange. The Bears decided in May not to pick up his fifth-year option.
But what if the Bears win? Or if the Rams do, and put the Bears into the playoffs regardless of Sunday’s score at Soldier Field? What would you think of Trubisky then? Would he be the same draft-day disappointment — or the quarterback who led the Bears to more playoff berths in a three-year span than Jay Cutler did in eight?
Or is Trubisky both?
The Bears’ playoff lives are at stake Sunday. But so is Trubisky’s reputation. A win could even make him the favorite to steer the Bears’ offense next year, though probably on a short contract.
Nagy was asked Monday what a win would mean for his quarterback.
“It would be special,” Nagy said. “But we can’t make it that big. We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing which is focusing on each week. And I think that has probably been the greatest strength that we’ve had so far the last three, four weeks offensively — we’ve focused on the team that was in front of us. And, ‘How do we play fast and how do we score touchdowns?’
“To get a win versus this team would be great — but I don’t think it is going to change the way Mitchell is for the possibility of the upcoming week after that.”
Trubisky had a moment like this once before, pass-game coordinator Dave Ragone said. In the playoffs against the Eagles two years ago, Trubisky completed two passes for 33 yards in the last 45 seconds of the game to give Cody Parkey a 43-yard field goal try.
The ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage, and then double-doinked onto the ground.
“We all obviously know the outcome of that drive,” Ragone said. “But what he was able to do … Perception-ally, if we win that game and move on, what it would have done for him.”
The benefit of Trubisky living through that, Ragone said, was that it taught him “resiliency” and “a no-quit ... fight that I think a lot of us who are close to him know that he has.”
If Trubisky is worried about his reputation, he hasn’t led on.
“I don’t know that any of that really factors in,” he said. “I think he just wants to go out right now and play football. And what a great opportunity, a great challenge.
“This is what you dream about as a quarterback ever since you were a little kid. You get to play — especially when you’re playing for the Chicago Bears — you get to play the Green Bay Packers for a chance and an opportunity to continue your season. I don’t know that you can draw it up much better, to be honest.”
