The last Chicago Bears quarterback to make a Pro Bowl stood in the Walter Payton Center on the Halas Hall grounds at 1920 Football Drive once again.
Mitchell Trubisky, once annointed as the quarterback of the Bears’ future in 2017, returned to the Bears’ headquarters but as the backup quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.
The Bears and Bills had a joint practice Friday, and Trubisky shared second-team reps with fellow quarterback Shane Buechele. After that practice, he spoke with reporters and reminisced on his time in Chicago.
“I only had it for four years,” Trubisky said. “I wish I had it longer.”
The backstory:
Trubisky was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft after then-general manager Ryan Pace famously selected him without consulting then-head coach John Fox or telling quarterback Mike Glennon after signing him to a three-year contract that offseason.
Trubisky’s time in Chicago ended in 2020 when Pace and then-head coach Matt Nagy decided to move on and select Justin Fields in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, which proved to be the final season in Chicago for Nagy and Pace.
In retrospect, Trubisky had a better career than most Bears quarterbacks ever had.
In his Bears career, Trubisky passed for 10,609 passing yards and 64 passing touchdowns. He was the first Bears quarterback to earn a Pro Bowl nod since Jim McMahon earned his in 1984. He also led the Bears to two different playoff appearances, including the 2018 season which had an all-time great defense but ended in heartbreak.
Thinking about his time in Chicago, Trubisky doesn’t have regrets about how it all ended. But, he does wish there was more time spent reveling in being the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears.
“Looking back on it, I wish I would’ve enjoyed it even more,” Trubisky said Friday. “Not regret, but perspective, now that I’m older.”
Big picture view:
There have been four first-round picks who have played at quarterback for the Bears since 2000: Rex Grossman, Trubisky, Fields and, now, Caleb Williams.
“All eyes are on you in this city, but it’s really a privilege,” Trubisky said. “There is a lot of pressure that comes with that, but it’s a privilege and, I miss that. It’s a lot of fun to be the franchise guy, especially in a city like this.”
Trubisky’s best season in 2018 earned him a Pro Bowl nod. That was also the last Bears team to win the NFC North. They earned the division crown by trading for Khalil Mack, getting All-Pro seasons from Mack, Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson, beating Green Bay to clinch the division title and fielding a defense that seemed to make big plays when it wanted to.
The Bears faithful don’t need a reminder of how that game ended against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card round. What fans should remember is that Trubisky is the only Bears quarterback to ever throw for 300+ yards in a playoff game, and it happened against the Eagles.
Now, he’s a Buffalo Bill and trying to keep himself ready to be the best quarterback he can be, in case the team needs to rely on him.
In Chicago, Williams is Trubisky’s successor as a first-round pick to play quarterback. He’s also dealing with a first-year head coach and brand new offensive scheme. Trubisky said learning a new offense takes time, well beyond just a training camp or even a season.
But he did offer some advice for the second-year quarterback.
“Take it in, enjoy the process,” Trubisky said.