Monday open thread: Who will be the Bears starting QB?

The Detroit Lions are entering a critical new-look season, but there are other NFC North teams in similar positions.

The Green Bay Packers have the future on their mind after drafting quarterback Jordan Love in the first round. The Minnesota Vikings traded away star receiver Stefon Diggs, and had to do some salary gymnastics this offseason.

However, perhaps the biggest question in the division is who will be the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears in 2020.

It appears as though the Mitchell Trubisky experiment is all but over. The former second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft has not lived up to the billing. Despite optimism surrounding the Matt Nagy offense and the young quarterback’s potential, very little has come from it. Instead, the Chicago Bears, a 12-4 team in 2018, dropped to 8-8, and that hope disappeared with it.

History often repeats itself. The Jacksonville Jaguars were a defensive powerhouse in 2017, managing to make the AFC Championship. A 2018 campaign, weakened by poor quarterback play from a top draft pick, tanked. In hopes of reclaiming their recent glory, they turned to Nick Foles. Unfortunately, Foles struggled in his only season there.

The Chicago Bears are following the exact same formula, although they are hoping for a happier outcome. The Bears had a historic defense in 2018, but poor quarterback play from Trubisky sunk their season. Now, the Bears also took a shot at Nick Foles potentially revitalizing their team.

Will it work this time around? We shall see.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Who will be the Bears starting QB?

My answer: I believe Trubisky will start the season, and he might be the starter for longer than most expect.

At this point for the Bears, Foles is insurance for them, and one that will likely be cashed in during the season. The Bears still believe in Trubisky, despite his struggles, and they will want to exhaust all options before turning to Foles. The Bears might get off to a decent start — the Lions, Giants, Falcons, Colts, and Panthers are all highly winnable games — although I doubt that Trubisky will light them up. Winning seems to erase a lot of criticism, even if it is justified.

The problem, of course, will come when the losing does. The Bears have a stretch of games featuring the Saints, Titans, Vikings, and Packers, and we could see the the quarterback debate heat up at that time. I don’t believe either quarterback is the solution to the Bears’ woes. The question is whether or not they are enough to put them back into the playoffs.

For the Lions’ sake, I hope not.