CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 09: Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky #10 of the Chicago Bears looks to pass the football in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field on December 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)The Chicago Bears will bring head coach Matt Nagy back for the 2021-22 season. That decision was made official today, after the team’s playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints over the weekend. The future of quarterback Mitch Trubisky is less certain.
Trubisky, the No. 2 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, had yet another up-and-down season this year. He was benched in favor of Nick Foles after a disappointing first few weeks of the season, but wound up starting again from Week 12 on, going 3-3 down the stretch.
Trubisky had some decent games during this run, but he didn’t have it against the New Orleans Saints last weekend. He threw for just 199 yards on 29 attempts, with a touchdown pass on the final play of the game, an ultimately meaningless score in a 21-9 loss.
Nagy will have a chance to keep his job next year, but he may have a new quarterback to deal with, whether it’s Foles or someone outside of the franchise right now. General manager Ryan Pace told the media that “everything’s on the table right now” when it comes to the quarterback position.
#Bears GM Ryan Pace asked about bringing Mitch Trubisky back, says "everything's on the table right now." Said they need to take a breath and go through their evaluations. Again, infer whatever you'd like to infer.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 13, 2021
Nagy is 28-20 in three years with the Chicago Bears. He took over during Trubisky’s second season, a 12-4 season led by Vic Fangio’s defense, which was one of the best in the NFL. The team has gone 8-8 each of the last two seasons, missing the playoffs in 2019-20 before reaching as the seventh seed in this year’s expanded field.
Trubisky is 29-21 as starter, dating back to his rookie season. For his career, he’s averaged a pretty pedestrian 6.7 yards per attempt, with 10,609 career passing yards, 64 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions. His best season was likely during Nagy’s first with the team, when he had career highs in 3,223 yards, 7.4 yards per attempt, 24 touchdowns, along with 421 rushing yards and three scores.
Mitch Trubisky has played just well enough to potentially be the best realistic option for Chicago next year, but it may be tough for Nagy to tie himself to the former UNC star if he’s in a must-win situation next year.
