soulman Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 As other QBs sign record extensions, Mitch Trubisky makes it clear he wants to remain with Bears By John Mullin June 12, 2019 1:59 PM https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bears/other-qbs-sign-record-extensions-mitch-trubisky-makes-it-clear-he-wants-remain-bears During last Saturday’s “Legacy Panel: Quarterbacks” session in which he shared the stage with Bears legend Jim McMahon, Mitchell Trubisky left little doubt, with both what he said and how he said it, that Chicago is more than just a place he plays football. “I really knew I was in the right spot [after the Bears drafted him],” Trubisky said. “Chicago’s really been home since that moment.” Trubisky confirmed on Wednesday that he wants “that moment” to extend far into the future. “Absolutely,” Trubisky said. “I think as long as I can play here in Chicago...I want to play this game as long as possible and I want to do it as long as I can here in Chicago. I think we’re building something great here. “I love the city, I love the fans, I love where I live, I love coming to work at Halas Hall every day, and I love my teammates, so for me it’s just taking it one day at a time and embracing the process. That’s the goal for sure.” A year from now, when Trubisky has completed year three of his four-year-with-an-option rookie contract, that goal may well become reality. The Philadelphia Eagles, coached by Matt Nagy friend and longtime colleague Doug Pederson, signed Wentz to an extension worth $128 million over four years, of which a massive $107 million is guaranteed. The news had added resonance with Trubisky, who like Wentz is represented by Rep1 Sports. Has Trubisky made his intentions clear to Rep 1? “They know,” Trubisky said. “It’s pretty obvious.” Trubisky’s comments and the Wentz contract have not been lost on Bears money managers, who will be in position this time next year to consider matching or exceeding Philadelphia money in order to secure the future of Trubisky in Chicago. The Wentz deal gave the quarterback the largest guarantee in NFL history. But it also gave the Eagles flexibility to continue building a winning team around Wentz, according to Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Getting the Wentz deal done when it was allows the Eagles to spread the cap hit over six years. “It was pretty cool to see,” Trubisky said. “He got it done. We have the same agent so I got to hear a little more about how they got it done, and from what I heard it was beneficial to the player and the organization. They’re very happy with it, and I know my agents were pumped with it as well. I’m not very good with the numbers and details and the language of contracts. I just want to play football." Pressure, but on whom? A casual discussion point may be which side holds leverage on the other. The Bears have their coach and extended team in place, and the options elsewhere have decreased if only because of the influx of young quarterbacks ostensibly having or expected to have immediate impact: Arizona (Kyler Murray), Buffalo (Josh Allen), Baltimore (Lamar Jackson), Cleveland (Baker Mayfield), Dallas (Dak Prescott), Denver (Joe Flacco/Drew Lock), Los Angeles (Jared Goff), the Giants (Daniel Jones), Houston (Deshaun Watson), Kansas City (Patrick Mahomes), the Jets (Sam Darnold), Miami (Josh Rosen, from Arizona), Oakland (Derek Carr), San Francisco (Jimmy Garoppolo), Tennessee (Marcus Mariota), Tampa Bay (Jameis Winston), Washington (Dwayne Hoskins). Add to that the teams with quarterbacks seemingly in place (Atlanta, Detroit, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New England, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Seattle, the Chargers, and so forth.) But Bears GM Ryan Pace tied his future to Trubisky. Indeed, it was very apparent as the 2016 college season went on that Pace was very, very taken with Trubisky. That focus steadily tightened through pre-draft 2017 and into the first round when Pace gave the San Francisco 49ers a hefty haul of draft capital just to move up one spot and ensure that he and the Bears landed Trubisky. With what has been said and invested in Trubisky, Pace and the Bears have put themselves under pressure at the quarterback position. As the 2018 season played out, the synchronicity between Nagy and Trubisky grew almost visibly on a near-weekly basis. Coach and player share a position history (Nagy was a quarterback at Delaware and in the Arena League) as well as a temperament. And the internal chemistry between Trubisky and teammates on all sides of the football was amply evident; when defensive players hang a nickname (“Pretty Boy Assassin”) on a rookie quarterback, he is impressing a group not easily impressed. By way of comparison The Eagles made the investment despite Wentz playing 16 games as a rookie in 2016, but then 13 in 2017 and 11 last season, the latter two years with Nick Foles stepping in and taking Philadelphia to a Super Bowl win in ’17 and to a wild-card win over the Bears last year. Goff, taken No. 1 overall in ’16, has not concluded any extension with the Los Angeles Rams, despite missing just one game since becoming a starter in mid-’16, reaching the playoffs in ’17 and the Super Bowl in ’18. Trubisky has played in more playoff games (one) than Wentz, hampered the past two years by injuries, and a higher percentage regular-season games (26 of 28) since becoming a starter than Wentz (40 of 48). 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soulman Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 This isn't quite the "elephant in the room" yet but that elephant just hailed an Uber ride and he's on his way. If Mitch continues to show the type of progress expected of him this season no doubt Pace and Laine will have to begin looking at the potential cost of extending him, the contract structure, and the timing. Although he doesn't become a FA 'til 2022 undoubtedly Pace will want him playing on a new contract in 2021 as opposed to paying him and exorbitant 5th year option salary. So look for a deal to wrap up in 2020. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAR FACE DOWN ARROW Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 What if he plays at more or less 2018 level, where's he's inconsistent enough to seem like he could either way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superman(DH23) Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 2019 is going to mean a lot here, if he goes 30/12 (not a huge leap) hes going to get extended in the offseason to a massive contract. The better he plays the higher that number goes. If his 2019 is similar to his 2018, then maybe it doesnt happen, or it happens at a discount. But any progression is going to mean a $25M+ AAV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindyCity Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 “All I keep hearing this offseason is that Mitch Trubisky is making big steps and big improvements.” - @JayGlazer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindyCity Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 He is going to improve. Experience in the system alone will allow him to make a jump. Who knows how high a jump, but there will be improvement. I am on the fence right now. Personally, I would not extend him until after year 4 when I have as much data as possible to gage his value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardown3231 Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 5 hours ago, WindyCity said: He is going to improve. Experience in the system alone will allow him to make a jump. Who knows how high a jump, but there will be improvement. I am on the fence right now. Personally, I would not extend him until after year 4 when I have as much data as possible to gage his value. I agree. I'd rather let this thing play out. We're about 16 games premature here in this topic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindyCity Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 9 minutes ago, beardown3231 said: I agree. I'd rather let this thing play out. We're about 16 games premature here in this topic. 32 before they really need to think about anything with the 5th year option. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulman Posted June 14, 2019 Author Share Posted June 14, 2019 On 6/13/2019 at 7:06 AM, soulman said: Although he doesn't become a FA 'til 2022 undoubtedly Pace will want him playing on a new contract in 2021 as opposed to paying him and exorbitant 5th year option salary. So look for a deal to wrap up in 2020. As I posted 2020 is when Pace and Laine will need to get serious about an extension. By 2021 the cost of a 5th year option will likely be in excess of $30 mil. There's no way they'll want that kind of cap hit on the books when an extension will halve that or better. This is essentially a contract year for him. It will be a huge part of the determination of what kind of offer he can expect in 2020. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz D. Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 3 hours ago, beardown3231 said: I agree. I'd rather let this thing play out. We're about 16 games premature here in this topic. It's not really us, though--this was brought on by Trubisky's comments. While I'm hopeful he can turn into a good one, he needs to keep his mouth shut as to monster extensions. It's wonderful we know he wants to stay in Chicago, but Mitch, c'mon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardown3231 Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 15 hours ago, Heinz D. said: It's not really us, though--this was brought on by Trubisky's comments. While I'm hopeful he can turn into a good one, he needs to keep his mouth shut as to monster extensions. It's wonderful we know he wants to stay in Chicago, but Mitch, c'mon... He was asked about it since he and Wentz share an agent and he said he wants to stay here for forever. What's the problem with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZBearsFan Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 On 6/14/2019 at 2:30 PM, WindyCity said: 32 before they really need to think about anything with the 5th year option. 2 years is an eternity in terms of contract value though. By spring 2021 assuming no labor dispute (which IS a factor here) Wentz’s $32M AAV extension may not even be in the top 25% any more in terms of AAV. If Mitch is a fringe pro bowler the next 2 years he’s already going to exceed the Wentz deal in 24 months, and if he’s a top 5 QB he’s going to obliterate it. Reality is if he’s 2018 Mitch forever (and even his strongest critics should expect some improvement) he’s probably our QB well beyond the remainder of his current contract. To that end, the ability to spread his extension out cap-wise over 6 years instead of 5 can be a HUGE deal when it comes to keeping the other talent around him, especially since Mack gets QB money and also will be here for several more seasons. Looking at Wentz’s deal it’s strictly an add on beyond his option year. He doesn’t have a cap hit exceeding even $20M until 2021. That’s a HUGE luxury we could really use especially after 2019 when we’re looking at potentially gigantic contracts for Jackson, Whitehair (if not done this offseason) and Floyd. I mention potential labor dispute above because if Mitch isn’t under a longer term deal before the CBA changes it may limit our future control over him, which would potentially mean future extensions and more money sooner for contract 3. Pace has to consider those factors too, and there is a lot of value in cost certainty even if that cost may be a bit higher than he’d like short term. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz D. Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 5 hours ago, beardown3231 said: He was asked about it since he and Wentz share an agent and he said he wants to stay here for forever. What's the problem with that? It's not REALLY a problem, it's simply putting the cart before the horse. It also lacks the sort of humility we expect from a young player in a leadership position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beardown3231 Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, Heinz D. said: It's not REALLY a problem, it's simply putting the cart before the horse. It also lacks the sort of humility we expect from a young player in a leadership position. I wholeheartedly disagree. I don't think his comments lack humility one bit. He never said he wants a new deal soon. He didn't throw out specific financials. He simply said he loves Chicago, the fans, the team, the coaches, and the organization. Had he said "I saw Carson's deal and hopefully we can get one done here soon," okay fine, but there was nothing even close to that. Edited June 16, 2019 by beardown3231 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heinz D. Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 1 hour ago, beardown3231 said: I wholeheartedly disagree. I don't think his comments lack humility one bit. He never said he wants a new deal soon. He didn't throw out specific financials. He simply said he loves Chicago, the fans, the team, the coaches, and the organization. Had he said "I saw Carson's deal and hopefully we can get one done here soon," okay fine, but there was nothing even close to that. We obviously disagree, but I don't see it as a big deal. I'm not outraged by what he said or anything. Far from it. And I do like his enthusiasm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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