Yahoo Sports Bears will wait to make decision on Mitchell Trubisky's fifth-year option
At the end of Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s second season, there was optimism about his future.
By the end of his third season, the Bears couldn’t even say if they wanted him around for all five years of his rookie contract.
Few players saw their stock drop in 2019 more than Trubisky. The Bears fell hard from a 2018 NFC North championship and their quarterback took almost all of the blame. It didn’t help that Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, both drafted after Trubisky in 2017, continued their ascent to stardom.
The Bears need to make a decision on whether to exercise Trubisky’s fifth-year option on his rookie contract, and general manager Ryan Pace said at the NFL scouting combine that the team is taking its time to figure that out.
Bears have timetable for Mitchell Trubisky decision
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Pace said Tuesday that the Bears will make the decision on Trubisky’s fifth-year option in May.
The only obvious reason to wait until May — it’s not like Trubisky is going to play any games before then to change the Bears’ mind one way or another — is it comes after the draft. By saying they’ll decide in May, the Bears are presumably taking the course that they’ll evaluate Trubisky after they’ve looked at replacements in free agency and the draft.
Given that Trubisky was the second pick of the 2017 draft, that’s not a ringing endorsement. Not that most Bears fans want a ringing endorsement of Trubisky anymore after his down season.
Trubisky needs a big season
Pace also said “we believe in Mitch,” via Biggs, but if that was true, there wouldn’t be a question about the fifth-year option. It’s not the Chiefs or Texans are waiting until May to determine if they want their quarterback around for a fifth year.
Trubisky’s numbers were down practically across the board in 2019. His passer rating dipped from 95.4 in 2018 to 83. The Bears went from division champs to out of the playoffs. Bears fans criticized Trubisky relentlessly.
Year four is critical for Trubisky. Even if the Bears pick up the fifth-year option, it’s only guaranteed for injury. Chicago could cut him and move on if he takes another step back.
By saying no decision will be made until May, it seems the Bears want to explore their options first. That’s not what they had in mind when they took Trubisky second overall.
More from Yahoo Sports:
