Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Ryan Pace told the media on Tuesday that “everything’s on the table” as the team addresses the quarterback position heading into this year. But what’s notable about Tuesday’s case is that Pace used that tried and true line even when asked about Mitchell Trubisky.
“That’s going to be part of this offseason plan,” Pace said. “We’re not going to lay all that out, those are all internal discussions we’ve had. But I would say, yeah, everything’s on the table with all the quarterbacks.”
It’s worth noting that it was around this time two years ago that Pace announced Cody Parkey wouldn’t be returning to the Bears. So while his answer about Trubisky wasn’t earth-shattering, it’s certainly not nothing either.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Further, the way in which both Pace and Matt Nagy spoke about Trubisky was much more complimentary on Tuesday, than it was back in January after the team had just lost to the Saints in the Wild Card round. Back then neither Pace nor Nagy even mentioned Trubisky by name when evaluating the position. They praised Nick Foles’ play throughout the season instead. But today things were different.
“I think you guys saw there with Mitchell, towards the end of the season, we really were creating that identity with the offense,” Nagy said. “Now, it doesn’t mean we weren’t doing things that we didn’t do in 2018 or ‘19… but we’re learning, as a staff, let’s try to take what we’re doing well as an offense and help it fit with what these quarterbacks’ strengths are. Last year, you saw a little bit of— you’ve got a guy like Mitchell who has the movement with his legs. He can threaten opposing defense on third down with the scramble, with the way he scrambles.”
It still feels unlikely that the Bears bring Trubisky back to compete with Foles, again, in 2021. But at least publicly, the Bears aren’t ready to shut that door just yet.
Click here to subscribe to the Under Center Podcast for free.
