Mitchell Trubisky's Success Could Make or Break the Bears
Trubisky is entering his third NFL season after helping the Bears to a 2018 playoff berth
The Chicago Bears heard plenty of talk about their possible regression during an offseason brought on by Cody Parkey's double-doink field goal miss.
Their solution for backsliding following a 12-4 season is how much they believe in quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's development.
It's up to Trubisky to do more than manage an offense. He needs to lead the Bears' bid to a repeat as NFC North champions to remove pressure from other aspects of the team.
"He's leaps and bounds further than he was last year," Bears coach Matt Nagy said. "Now we know what he likes, and so we're just trying to put it into action."
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The Bears released Acho in March. He later signed with the Buffalo Bills.
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Amos left the Bears in free agency, signing a big contract with the hated Green Bay Packers.
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After leaving the Bears, Brown signed a contract with the New York Jets.
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The talented slot cornerback headed to Denver, joining former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio with the Broncos.
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Cunningham signed with the Jaguars, but was released in early August.
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The Bears traded Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a conditional draft pick.
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Kush left the Bears in free agency, and signed with the Cleveland Browns.
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After a high-profile miss in the NFC Wild Card Game, Parkey was released by the Bears.
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The former first round draft pick took his talents to the desert, signing with the Arizona Cardinals.
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The Bears added Clemmings as a reserve offensive lineman in a late-May signing.
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The Bears signed the former Packers star to replace Adrian Amos, who headed north to Green Bay.
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The talented running back signed a two-year pact with the Bears as NFL free agency opened.
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The special teams standout was signed by the Bears in mid-March.
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The Bears traded up in the third round of the NFL Draft to snag the running back out of Iowa State.
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The dynamic kick-returner will hope to dazzle Bears fans after signing a free agent deal in mid-March.
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The Bears drafted Ridley, the brother of Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley, in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.
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Shelley was picked by the Bears in the sixth round of the draft.
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With Bryce Callahan in Denver, the Bears will have a new slot cornerback after signing Skrine to a three-year pact.
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In the seventh round of the draft, the Bears added another running back when they scooped up Whyte.
The Bears have kept Trubisky under wraps in preseason, and his improvement in Year 2 of Nagy's offense wasn't easily discernible while he faced his team's dominant defense in training camp scrimmages.
Trubisky improved from a 77.5 passer rating to 95.4 last season, and threw 24 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions. He'll need to step up more if problems occur from defensive changes or with a running game relying now on unproven rookie David Montgomery and free agent acquisition Mike Davis.
The Bears need to become more of a complete team, and for Trubisky to guarantee this he has to be better at diagnosing defenses in his third NFL season.
"I think that gives you confidence as a player because when you know where to go with the football you can kind of control the defense more with your eyes and rhythm, and anticipate throws as opposed to reacting," Trubisky said.
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 16: Bennie Fowler #18 of the New York Giants is congratulated by his teammates Rhett Ellison #85 and Eli Manning #10 after a first half touchdown reception against the Chicago Bears during a preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 16: Chicago Bears outside linebacker Khalil Mack (52) warms up prior to the National Football League game between the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears on August 16, 2019 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 16: Ryan Nall #35 of the Chicago Bears is tackled by Dalvin Tomlinson #94 of the New York Giants during a preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 16: Chase Daniel #4 of the Chicago Bears looks to pass against the New York Giants in the first half during a preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 16: Roy Robertson-Harris #95 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a tackle against the New York Giants in the first half during a preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 16: Riley Ridley #88 of the Chicago Bears misses a catch under pressure from Grant Haley #34 of the New York Giants in the first half during a preseason game at MetLife Stadium on August 16, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 16: Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) warms up prior to the National Football League game between the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears on August 16, 2019 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A year ago at preseason's end, the Bears made the trade to turn around their fortunes by acquiring Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders. It transformed a formidable defense into a dominant one. Now Trubisky and the offense look to take their turn.
"The defense bailed us out last year a lot and we want to do our job more often this year," running back Tarik Cohen said.
If Trubisky really has improved, Bears on both sides of the ball think they can deal with a much tougher schedule and become Super Bowl contenders.
"We're really chasing that goal right now," safety Eddie Jackson said. "We're not just talking about it."
