Deshaun Watson Comparisons Bounce Off Mitchell Trubisky

To Mitchell Trubisky's credit, he willingly listens to the questions and answers when it's Ryan Pace who actually should be doing it, but almost never does.

Trubisky understands the linkage of his name to Deshaun Watson, the quarterback the Bears will face Sunday at Soldier Field, and also that he's pretty much helpless to do anything about all of it.

Almost a year ago it was Patrick Mahomes who came in to Chicago and something similar occurred in an embarrassing Bears defeat.

"It is always going to be a story just because that's the draft class we came in," Trubisky said. "It was me, Deshaun and Pat. We were picked where we were, and now it's up to us to make the most out of our opportunities."

Some have made more of their opportunities than the other.

"They've done a great job with theirs and I'm still trying to write my story here," Trubisky said. "So that's all there is to it, and my opportunity is to go out and lead my team this week and try to get a win. I'm excited about that, I'm also happy for their success as well because obviously they've earned it."

Trubisky and Watson will be forever intertwined, just like Mahomes will always be mentioned along with Trubisky simply because of something they had no control over. That would be Pace moving up in the 2017 draft and selecting Trubisky while letting two perennial Pro Bowl quarterbacks go elsewhere.

Sunday they'll face Watson's wrath for the first time.

Trubisky doesn't know Watson very well even though they came into the league together and played in the same college conference at the same time, Watson for Clemson and Trubisky at North Carolina.

"Obviously a fan of his, though," Trubisky said. "But just going through the process together when we came out the same year, I got to know him a little bit through the draft. But I haven't really stayed in touch.

"But obviously a fan just watching him and his game. He does a lot of great things off the field as well with giving back to the communities and he's been a great role model for kids to look up to as well. So I have a lot of respect for him and everything he does."

Trubisky is focused now on ending a six-game losing streak, although in the back of his mind has to be the future because he is unsigned for 2021.

Meanwhile, Watson's brilliance might be at a peak this year, although the Texans are going through their worst stretch since he became starter. He has a career-high 110 passer rating, elevating his career mark to 103.2. Watson is leading the league with a yards-per-pass-attempt at 8.8. It's an astronomical number considering defenses have known he's about all the Texans have going on offense during a 4-8 season.

With Pace not answering media questions as usual, it was left to coach Matt Nagy to explain the situation.

"In regards to Deshaun, No. 1 you know he was a winner coming from a winning program and he had a lot of experience and he was a dual-threat guy that was able to throw the football but still beat you with his legs—competitor and a winner was what you saw," Nagy said. "So, again that class of guys for all of us, at that point in time, me being in Kansas City, we were obviously looking at that time, too."

The Chiefs looked and wanted Mahomes and got him.

"It's always fun when you go through the quarterback position, and just kind of evaluating and getting into everybody and how a little bit different they are and some of the similarities they have," Nagy said, cleverly dancing through this minefield and not bringing shame onto his boss. "Everybody is going to have their own opinions.

"In regard to that class, we all know that Mitchell and Patrick and Deshaun were all right there. I think when you go back and you look at a lot of different people, everybody had their own opinions. In regard to Deshaun, he's having a good career and I think he's a competitor and definitely presents a lot of problems to opposing defenses."

Trubisky insists it's nothing he even thinks about. He's not pressing to do better than Watson Sunday because of Pace's decision, and this doesn't surprise Nagy.

"For where we're at right now, we have a chance to be able to go out there and win a football game," Nagy said. "That storyline, when you really understand everything, that storyline is never going to leave for any of those guys, just like it doesn't for any of those quarterback classes you run into.

"Usually they're all compared. No matter what, for all three of those guys they're going to have that with them forever. For us, we're in this situation and we're trying to focus on making this offense as great as we can be. That's really been our focus and it hasn't been brought up at all. Mitch is locked in right now and I appreciate that about him."

How much easier would it be for the Bears right now pursuing a playoff spot with either Watson or Mahomes locked in instead?

It's a question only Pace can really answer and doesn't.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven