Bears-Packers Q&A: Mitch Trubisky doesn’t have ‘it’

On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers host a rematch of their Week 1 victory over the Chicago Bears. Robert Zeglinski of Windy City Gridiron kindly volunteered to answer our questions about the Bears and provide some insight into their strengths and weaknesses.

APC: Back in September, we asked your Windy City Gridiron colleague Jeff Berckes whether the Bears erred in picking Mitch Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. At the time, he believed the team hadn’t made a mistake. After watching the first three-quarters of the 2019 season unfold, do you agree with that assessment or do you feel differently, and what led you to your conclusion?

I firmly disagree with the assessment with over three-fourth’s of an abysmal season behind us. Trubisky doesn’t have “it”. Barring a supernova finish to lift the Bears into January, nothing will change my mind. To be fair, I would’ve also disagreed with such an assertion in September, too, as Trubisky had one mediocre up-and-down season under his belt in comparison to two bona fide star quarterbacks. He didn’t have “it” then either. “It” being poise, the ability to not overthink. The Bears picking the 25-year-old over Watson and Mahomes may be remembered as the most ill-advised decision in franchise history. The “What-If’s?” to top every “What-If?”

Trading up for and subsequently picking a quarterback with 13 college starts (inexperienced college passers have horrific track records as professionals) over one of the best college quarterbacks ever, a perennial Pro Bowler (Watson), and the assured face of the league (Mahomes) is inconceivable. It boggles the mind as to what Bears general manager Ryan Pace ever saw in Trubisky to stake out his organization’s future in such an average player. It’s more ludicrous to consider his tunnel vision over such an unproven talent. Pace, now infamously, never even had a private scouting visit with Watson in advance of the 2017 NFL Draft, and summarily dismissed Mahomes as his No. 2 prospect. Due diligence was lost when he had a decade of football in his hand weighing on largely one decision. Pace had a 66 percent chance of picking a star quarterback, a needle mover at the forefront of the league the Bears haven’t possessed since the Truman Presidency, and missed.

If the Bears had either Mahomes or Watson under center this season, you’ll never convince me they wouldn’t have been in the running for the conference’s No. 1 seed. Instead, they’re an “In The Hunt” team wondering if everything they’ve built over four years will go to unfortunate waste.

We’d like to thank Robert. Be sure to check out the rest of our Q&A session with Windy over the course of the week as well as our Q&A session over there. As always, keep your internet machines tuned to Acme Packing Company this Sunday for our comprehensive game-day coverage of Bears versus Packers.