Detroit Lions: Ranking the Starting Quarterbacks of the NFC North
By Bob Heyrman
This will really add some fuel to the fire in the eyes of Chicago Bears fans. I am not sold on Mitchell Trubisky. I have him ranked as the divisions worst starting quarterback.
Mitchell Trubisky was considered a reach by some when the Chicago Bears drafted him with the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Trubisky came out of the University of North Carolina–not exactly a football factory. The school is the definition of a basketball school, even long after the g.o.a.t Michael Jordan left town.
In a year where Myles Garrett was selected first overall, the Bears traded up from three to two, swapping picks with the San Francisco 49ers to take Trubisky. Imagine if the Bears would have selected Patrick Mahomes who was chosen with the tenth overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs.
If you put Mahomes on the Bears playing with that defense on the other side of the ball, the Bears would be perennial Super Bowl contenders. At the very least they’d be winning the NFC North more times than not.
The third and final quarterback selected in the first round was Deshaun Watson. Fresh off of winning the National Championship with the Clemson Tigers many folks weren’t convinced his game would fully translate to the NFL level. If you ask anyone who follows football they’d admit both Watson and Mahomes would be better options than Trubisky. So for the Detroit Lions, whiffing on those two leaves the door wide-open for Stafford and company in the NFC North.
Mitchell is entering the third year of his career. He didn’t look very crisp in week one against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night football throwing for a mere 228 yards, 0 touchdowns, and an interception.
In 27 career starts Trubisky has thrown for 5644 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. Nothing there jumps out and screams franchise quarterback. Everyone, including myself, understands that Stafford had a down year last year with the Detroit Lions.
Trubisky owned a record of 11-3 during his starts last season yet only threw for 3223 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. If the record was flipped and he posted the same passing numbers, Bears fans would look at Mitchell differently.
It’s not all bad if you are a Chicago Bears fan; remember you made it to a Super Bowl with Rex Grossman.