NFL 2020 odds: Bears GM doubles down on Mitch Trubisky but doesn't commit to 2021
Bears GM Ryan Pace reiterated Tuesday that Mitchell Trubisky will be the team's starting quarterback this season.
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In the wake of the Chicago Bears' disappointing 8-8 campaign in 2019, General Manager Ryan Pace said in the season-ending wrap-up press conference in January that Mitchell Trubisky would be his team's starting quarterback in 2020 even though Trubisky and the offense took a giant step backward from 2018.
On Tuesday at the NFL Combine, Pace addressed the media for the first time since then and reaffirmed Trubisky is the starter entering 2020. Frankly, not a huge surprise considering Pace's career is on the line regarding Trubisky because he traded up to No. 2 overall in the 2017 draft to take him out of North Carolina. Pace could have stayed put and taken either Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson.
Taking Pace at his word, that means the Bears will not be chasing the likes of Tom Brady or Philip Rivers in free agency because those guys clearly would be starting over Trubisky. On the FanDuel NFL odds, Chicago is +1200 to land Rivers in free agency and +3400 to get Brady. Salary-cap wise, the Bears realistically can't afford either guy regardless.
Expect Chicago to land a veteran signal-caller to at least push Trubisky competition-wise and serve as a more accomplished backup than Chase Daniel did the past two seasons. Marcus Mariota has often been mentioned as a possibility. Ditto Andy Dalton and possibly Jameis Winston. "Competition brings out the best in everybody," Pace said Tuesday.
About the only news from Pace was that the Bears will until May to decide whether to pick up Trubisky's fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Watson and Mahomes will surely get massive contract extensions this offseason in no-brainer moves.
In addition, Coach Matt Nagy will continue to call offensive plays despite that unit ranking fourth-from-last in 2019 in yards (296.8 ypg) and points (17.5 ppg). Chicago has a win total of Over-Under 7.5 on the DraftKings NFL futures odds for 2020.
Which quarterback will Chicago add (via free agency/trade) to provide "competition" for Trubisky entering the 2020 season? Via SportsLine oddsmakers.