Mitch Trubisky is in uphill battle to be Bears quarterback

The Chicago Bears are clearly moving on from Mitch Trubisky despite what they say.

The decision was already made on whether Nick Foles or Mitch Trubisky will start at quarterback for the Chicago Bears in 2020.

When the Bears declined Trubisky’s fifth-year option in early May, general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy told everyone more than any other action could.

After this year, the Bears are done with Trubisky. It would take a herculean turnaround from the former No. 2 overall pick for Chicago to entertain retaining him, considering he would now cost either a franchise tag (north of $30 million in 2021) or a long-term deal likely worth far more.

The Bears aren’t giving Mitch Trubisky the starting job in 2020

On Monday, Nagy spoke with Good Morning Football and praised Trubisky, saying he’s in the right frame of mind.

"“(Trubisky) has been really, really good in the fact that he’s taken this head-on,” Nagy said. “He’s accepted it. He understands it. We’re all so competitive, but we’re human, too. There is a realness to the fact that ‘OK, you’re going to bring somebody else in here and have me compete’ initially it’s probably a shock. But then after that, it’s like, ‘let’s go.'”"

This is exactly what Trubisky should feel, and exactly what Nagy should say publicly. Until the team gathers in August for training camp and the pigskins start flying, the Bears have to promote the idea of an open competition.

Of course, the reality is far different. Trubisky is signed through this season before Chicago willingly and eagerly dumps him onto the open market after a trio of uneven and ultimately disappointing seasons. Conversely, Foles is signed for three seasons with significant dead cap space in each campaign.

Finally, Nagy is an offensive coach at heart. He came to the Bears by way of the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was the offensive coordinator under Andy Reid. With Trubisky, Nagy has had to shelter his quarterback, limiting his creativity as a play-caller.

If Nagy is going to succeed in the Windy City, he’ll do so by improving at quarterback. Foles isn’t a massive step up from Trubisky, but he still represents an upgrade.

The Bears can talk all they want about the battle coming this summer. It’s a battle which is already largely over.