Chris Long Thinks Bears Should Cut the Mitch Trubisky Cord
Chris Long has seen football played at the highest level. The former defensive end won two Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. This has enabled him to understand what peak quarterback play is supposed to look like and what it doesn’t look like. So it must not be the most encouraging thing when the guy offers a stronger vote of support for Chase Daniel than he does Mitch Trubisky.
During a recap of the latest week of NFL games, Long appeared on the Ryen Russillo Podcast. There they discussed the Chicago Bears and their loss in London to the Oakland Raiders. When the conversation shifted to the quarterback situation, he sounded very much like a guy who believes the offense functions better when Daniel is the one under center. This reality, in his mind, seemed to confirm that the Bears need to start thinking about life after Trubisky.
They should consider moving on next year, find a bridge option who can function well enough and then take a second swing in 2021 when they have another 1st round pick.
“Listen, like in the conversation of Chicago and what it means this year and beyond. In 2020, you’re letting Trubisky walk right?…
…I think for the Bears, in 2021, they’re going to have to hit on a quarterback while still trying to win and that’s tough.”
Chris Long agrees the coaches don’t trust Trubisky enough
One of the central points made by Russillo that Long agreed with during the segment was that there seems to be persistent evidence that the playbook is significantly scaled back when Trubisky is the one starting. The coaches don’t seem to trust him enough to run more than a fixed set of plays out of fear it’ll overwhelm him. This isn’t the first time this criticism has surfaced. Former quarterback Chris Simms stated he’s heard similar concerns about Trubisky maybe not being smart enough to grasp the playbook.
Could Long be right? Maybe. The thing is the only two men who have control over such a decision are Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace. Neither of them is talking. So until they do, things aren’t likely to change. Trubisky is the starter. There are 11 games left in the 2019 season. That is enough time for him to either silence the doubters or confirm their suspicions. Either way, the Bears will have a clearer picture of everything by the end of December.