A Matter of Heightened Expectations
While the Russell Wilson watch continues, if the Bears come away empty handed they may at least have achieved one thing pleasing to a multitude of the team's fans.
They may have ensured there will be no Mitchell Trubisky, the fifth year.
The buildup in the Carson Wentz situation and now the Russell Wilson watch have increased expectations to a level never yet seen in Chicago for any sport short of maybe the two Bears Super Bowls and the last inning of the 2016 World Series.
Even Michael Jordan's return, the run to two threepeats and three Blackhawks Stanley Cups in six years failed to pile up this kind of anticipation. There was no social media when Jordan played to heighten hype, and the Blackhawks are popular but still playing a sport many don't follow.
Less than two weeks ago Matt Nagy was still talking like there was a real possibility the team could bring back Trubisky to compete with Nick Foles.
"Now, you start with the quarterback position and for us, there's a lot of different ways we can go right now, whether it's with Mitchell, whether it's with Nick, if it's with somebody outside," Nagy told reporters via Zoom. "And there's a lot of different ways it could go."
The likelihood of Trubisky returning never seemed great but there have been stranger things happen to the team. One did to end their 2018 playoff game.
However, after pursuing Wentz and now apparently Wilson, and with free agency approaching and other quarterbacks still possible, the ripple effect of it all is the Bears cannot in any way bring back Trubisky.
If it happened, Nagy and Pace would become pariahs in Chicago. It's that simple.
It may have been this way prior to this current quarterback hunt, as well. It's just that time and more quarterback possibilities have combined to take the focus so far above their old quarterback that the Nagy and Pace can't possibly turn back to No. 10.
They can't.
After hunting for Wilson, bringing in any quarterback short of the Seahawks' starter would seem a letdown. Chicago Bears football is all about letdowns, though. Fans can tolerate this.
Trubisky would be beyond a letdown to most fans. George McCaskey wouldn't need to worry about whether the city opens up Soldier Field for 20% seating capacity like with the baseball teams, or if it's at 100%. There wouldn't be fans there anyway if the plan winds up being Trubisky returns to start.
This doesn't mean Trubisky should forget about even playing in the NFL again.
Matt Bowen, the former NFL player who coached Chicago area high school football and is an analyst for ESPN, suggested scheme fits for 40 free agents in a recent article and for Trubisky he found an ideal fit not in Halas Hall.
He sees Trubisky as an ideal fit in Tennessee as Ryan Tannehill's backup based on the success the Bears enjoyed with the outside zone-blocking in the running game and quarterback movement last year. It's like the attack the Titans use.
Chicago?
It's not certain what the fit fpr a quarterback would be in terms of a scheme because the Bears could go either way depending on who they have at quarterback.
The outside zone worked fine last year but it's possible they could switch back to the Kansas City style of West Coast attack with better health returning to the offensive line and either Foles or an outside quarterback playing.
Either way, Trubisky wouldn't, couldn't and shouldn't be back in Chicago now.
And Bears fans have Wilson—or at least his pursuit—to thank for this.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
