Bears luminaries jump on Trubisky bandwagon
All it took was one good preseason game from a rookie backup quarterback and one bad one from the starter to get Chicago talking.
Like many Bears fans, several of the team’s alumni shared their thoughts about Mitch Trubisky’s debut Thursday against the Broncos at Soldier Field.
Going 18- for- 25 for 166 yards and a touchdown was all Trubisky needed to do to earn the starting job, former Bears coach Mike Ditka said.
‘‘ You’ve got problems,’’ Ditka told TMZ Sports when he was asked what his reaction would be if the Bears choose to start Mike Glennon over Trubisky. ‘‘ What I saw out of Trubisky, for a rookie in his first game, I thought was outstanding.’’
Ditka thought Trubisky’s debut was so good, he said he was better than Tom Brady and Fran Tarkenton in their first NFL games.
‘‘ It’s clear- cut he should be your starter,’’ Ditka said.
But from the day the Bears traded up to select Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick in April, they have said he wasn’t going to start this season.
‘‘ Glennon is our starter; we’re confident in him,’’ general manager Ryan Pace often said during the offseason.
But Glennon didn’t turn in the kind of performance Trubisky did in the Bears’ 24- 17 loss to the Broncos. In fact, it was almost the exact opposite. Glennon was 2- for- 8 for 20 yards and threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown on the first drive.
While Ditka is leading the charge to get Trubisky the starting job, former linebacker Brian Urlacher isn’t far behind.
NFL Network host Rich Eisen took to Twitter late Thursday to call for a celebratory parade on Michigan Avenue for Trubisky.
The parade didn’t happen, of course, but Urlacher responded to Eisen’s tweet with one of his own that said: ‘‘ I’m leading the Parade.’’
Trubisky also got former Bears linebacker Otis Wilson’s stamp of approval.
One fan asked Wilson what he thought about Trubisky’s performance. His answer rang the same tune as Ditka’s.
‘‘ I’d take him over Glennon right now,’’ Wilson tweeted Friday.