Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has defined the Chicago Bears organization for the past four years.
The Bears selected him with the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
That was of course before fellow quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.
Chicago was taking a huge gamble at the time, as Trubisky had only appeared in 31 games in college at North Carolina.
To put it lightly, that gamble did not pay off.
Never Living Up To Expectations
Trubisky started 51 games for the Bears with Chicago going 29-21.
They reached the playoffs twice, and won the NFC North during his rookie season, but Chicago never made it out of the first round.
As a Bear, Trubisky threw for 10,609 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions.
He added 1,057 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
Trubisky did make the Pro Bowl as a rookie, but Mahomes is already an MVP and Super Bowl champion while Watson is a three-time Pro Bowler.
Chicago declined his fifth-year option prior to the 2020 season as Trubisky battled with Nick Foles for the starting quarterback role.
His time with the Bears ended this offseason as Trubisky signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Buffalo Bills.
As fate has it, Trubisky won’t have to wait long to prove himself to Bears fans.
Chicago and Buffalo are facing off in Week 2 of the preseason.
The game will take place at Soldier Field and will kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET on August 21.
With Bills starting quarterback Josh Allen sitting out the contest, Trubisky has been named Buffalo’s starter against the Bears.
Buffalo Bills HC Sean McDermott announced that Mitch Trubisky will be the starting quarterback when his team plays the Chicago Bears on Saturday at Soldier Field.
(Via Bills FB Live)
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 19, 2021
Trubisky made waves earlier this offseason for his comments about the difference between Buffalo and Chicago.
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, Trubisky said that he likes playing for the Bills because he feels that the fans want him there.
“It’s just really nice to be a part of a great team and be somewhere where people want you here, and they care about how you’re progressing as a person, as a player,” Trubisky said. “It was an interesting process, but I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be right now, and I’m enjoying being here.”
Later in the interview, Trubisky said that he saw his departure from the Bears coming and that they were believing in him less and less.
“I kind of saw it coming, just the way I was progressing. Year Two was really good and then Year Three and Four, not as good,” Trubisky said. “I was dealing with some injuries and some other things going on there, but like I said, it was disappointing but it wasn’t a surprise. Throughout the process, you can kind of see that they were just continuously believing in me less and less, and that’s just kind of how that process went.”
Trubisky didn’t necessarily say if the they he was referring to was the Bears fans or front office; but the meaning holds the same.
To one extent he is right.
He had to battle back from injuries just to get on the field and show flashes of brilliance when he was on it.
In Week 4 of the 2018 season, Trubisky threw for six touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While they may have struggled in the playoffs, prior to Trubisky, Chicago hadn’t reached the playoff since 2010.
The two quarterbacks drafted after him have gone on to have tremendous success in their short time in the league.
Justin Fields and Mitch Trubisky are both currently trending
I love Chicago Bears fans 🤣😂 pic.twitter.com/1f2imAv2Jb
— Swiftizm (@SwiftizmTTV) August 14, 2021
Trubisky isn’t even with the team that drafted him anymore.
But whether you love or hate Trubisky, it is undeniable that he has made an impact on the Bears franchise and is a player fans won’t soon forget.
Those same fans will get an opportunity to see what life will be like without their former starting quarterback as he again steps foot in Soldier Field, this time as a Buffalo Bill.
NEXT: 3 Takeaways From Justin Fields' Chicago Bears Debut