Message for Mitchell Trubisky: It's Just Business

Analysis: Bears' move is all about safe business practices even while it's obvious Mitchell Trubisky is getting one last shot at redemption

It's all in Mitchell Trubisky's hands now.

The Bears haven't so much shown Trubisky the door as much as they've opened it and then reminded him how open it really is—not that he needed the reminder. 

This was probably the case before the reported decision on not picking up his fifth-year option regardless. 

What they've done more than anything else is they've also protected themselves, and general manager Ryan Pace might even be protecting himself.

By declining the fifth-year option, the Bears eliminated their own legal obligation to him after this season and created a situation where he has one last shot in 2020 at proving he is a starting quarterback prior to free agency.

Declining the option on paper only means he'd be through here even if he suffered an injury.

The steady, incremental improvement Pace wanted from Trubisky will need to become a wild downhill avalanche of success to convince anyone he should be retained after last season's troubles.

If Trubisky does make a stand, the Bears would need to use a franchise tag to retain him or get him another contract as they scramble to avert disaster.

The expense for either of these moves would be great, about $27 million for one year on a tag and on a deal it's anyone's imagination.

But the declined option is all merely a hedge. 

Considering he's had a pair of shoulder injuries, and how often quarterbacks seem to get injured in the NFL, the move makes sense for the Bears.

Cam Newton, Alex Smith, RGIII, Teddy Bridgewater ... the list of quarterbacks in the NFL who suffered bad injuries carrying over to another season is long and always possible when 300-pound players are coming after you full speed on every down.

There is some precedent being set by the Bears with this move.

No quarterback as statistically successful as Trubisky has ever had the fifth-year option declined, unless an injury had already occurred. Teddy Bridgewater (87 passer rating, 7.2 yards an attempt) is the only passer with better statistics than Trubisky (85.8, 6.7) who had an option declined, and in his case it came because a horrific knee injury threatened his future.

The only healthy quarterbacks besides Trubisky ever to have options declined were Jake Locker, E.J. Manuel, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder. None had a passer rating higher than 79.0. 

In this case the Bears already have a viable alternative to Trubisky in place, so it only makes sense to take this action.

It communicates the simple message that, to borrow a line from The Godfather, it's not personal, it's only business. 

This is how business is conducted in the NFL. 

Of course, if Trubisky had been Patrick Mahomes his fifth-year option would have been picked up a year ago or more anyway. 

He hasn't been. This is obvious.

As for Pace, who tied himself to this quarterback by inexplicably trading up one spot to draft him, the only thing worse than continuing to show blind support would be to do it and risk millions of the McCaskey family's money with an injury.

At least Pace made their $24.8 million safe with this action.

Keeping his own job safe after the 2020 season could be a different matter, and depends on so much more than simply the quarterback position.

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