The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Trubisky signs one-year deal with Buffalo
On March 18, Trubisky agreed to a one-year contract to backup Josh Allen, who started the last six games of his rookie year in 2018, all 16 games in 2019and all 16in 2020.
Mitchell Trubisky is getting the chance to hit the reset button with a team few expected to be his next home — the Buffalo Bills.
Trubisky on March 18 agreed to a one-year contract to backup Josh Allen, who started the last six games of his rookie year in 2018, all 16 games in 2019 and all 16 in 2020. Allen was 13-3 in 2020 with 37 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. He took the Bills to the 2020 AFC championship game vs. the Chiefs.
It is a fresh start for Trubisky - the Mentor High graduate and second overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2017 draft. The deal is for $2.5 million, according to NFL Network.
Trubisky was 29-21 as a starter for the Bears. He threw 64 touchdown passes and 37 interceptions over four seasons, but the Bears chose to not pick up his fifth-year option, thus making him a free agent on March 17.
Instead of re-signing Trubisky, the Bears signed Andy Dalton to a one-year contract with plans to make Dalton their starter in 2021.
“I don’t know what went on in Chicago, but he started 50 games,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters covering the Bills. “The label has been put on Mitchell from afar that maybe he doesn’t deserve (a second chance). This is a reset for him. We don’t expect him to be here long term.”
Beane, in fact, told reporters he expects Trubisky could use his one year with the Bills to learn under offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and put himself in position to compete for a starting job with another team in 2022. During the press conference with the Buffalo media, Beane said he advised Trubisky to use his time in Buffalo to become “the best version of yourself.”
Washington and the Steelers are just two teams that could be looking for a starter next season; Ryan Fitzpatrick is on a one-year deal in Washington and Ben Roethlisberger is expected to retire from Pittsburgh after the 2021 season.
Trubisky is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds. Allen is 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, but they both can run, and not only when the protection breaks down. Beane said Trubisky’s style makes him the perfect fit to use in the run-pass option scheme Daboll has been successful with in Buffalo.
Beane delayed announcing Trubisky to the media so he could tell 30-yearold Matt Barkley, Allen’s backup last year, of their plans to move on from Barkley and ride with Trubisky.
“Love you Bufalo,” Barkley tweeted. “It’s been real.”
Trubisky’s numbers in Chicago were not horrendous, but he had the misfortune of being selected in the same draft in which Patrick Mahomes was selected 10th by the Chiefs and Deshaun Watson 12th by the Texans.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace traded picks. 3, 67 and 111 in 2017 plus a 2018 third-round pick to San Francisco to move up one spot to take Trubisky, fearing the 49ers would take him. Colin Kaepernick was history in San Francisco by then. So was Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder.
Brian Hoyer was the 49ers starting quarterback in the 2017 opener. They acquired Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade with the Patriots on Oct. 31, 2017 for a 2018 second-round pick.
The Bears went all in on Trubisky despite him making only 13 career starts at the University of North Carolina. Trubisky left the Tar Heels with a year of eligibility remaining and an impressive record despite the limited starts - 386 of 572 passing (67.5 percent) for 4,762 yards with 41 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions.