Mitch Trubisky vs. Nick Foles is going to be the first and last thing on every Bears fan's mind this summer, and they'll get their fill of the competition that could determine the fate of 2020 during the preseason, assuming games are played.
Bears coach Matt Nagy spoke with Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer about how the truncated offseason program has impacted the team's quarterback competition and why reps during the preseason will mean that much more.
“When you have the offseason, you have the OTAs, what Mitch is going to be able to do with the players is show his improvement at that position," Nagy said. "What Nick is going to be able to do with the players on the field at OTAs is show who he is as a quarterback and what his strengths are. And now, Mitch isn’t gonna be able to do that, and Nick isn’t gonna be able to do that. So it’s gonna be very important, whatever time we’re given. It’s just a fact, there’s just not going to be as much time for that to naturally happen and for us to see it. It’ll all play itself out, and because there's zero agendas in this thing, and because there’s complete honesty, it’s very healthy. Credit to both of these guys, Mitch and Nick, they’re both really good people.”
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This isn't all that shocking, even in an offseason without a pandemic shutting down most if not all of the on-field work prior to training camp. Quarterback competitions — real, true QB competitions — often come down to the wire and can be decided by as little as one memorable drive in a meaningless August game. It won't be any different for the Bears in 2020.
The break from the norm, however, will be in how much Foles and Trubisky play during the preseason. Instead of both contenders sitting the bench by the third quarter, it's possible fans will get an extended look beyond what we're used to seeing from a 'starting quarterback' in the games that don't count.
It's likely to be a pass-heavy preseason, too. There won't be any way for Nagy and the rest of the coaching staff to decide who wins the starting job unless there are actually pass attempts (and a decent number of them) to compare and contrast.
While the 2020 preseason won't be ideal for Bears fans, it'll certainly be fun.