Well, that was fun. Ryan Pace's maneuver on draft day to land Mitchell Trubisky created several intriguing storylines for the 2017 season. When will Trubiksy be ready? Will he develop into a franchise quarterback? And what’s the deal with Mike Glennon, which leads us to Thursday’s mailbag question.
@DickersonESPN In the best case scenario of both Glennon and @Mtrubisky10 playing well this season, could the #Bears look to recoup picks by trading #8?
— Alan (@yestello) May 3, 2017
Jeff Dickerson: I wouldn’t count on Trubisky “playing well” this year. The Bears went out of their way to diffuse any quarterback controversy, stating over and over (often unprompted) that Glennon is their starter -- despite drafting Trubisky second overall. I get it. Trubisky started only one season at North Carolina. Why rush him onto the field before he’s ready? In that regard, the Bears are smart.
Your question is valid, though, Alan. If Glennon does well in 2017, and Trubisky develops and the Bears want him to start in 2018, then Chicago absolutely should look to trade Glennon next offseason. Sure, Glennon would be a solid No. 2 (theoretically next year) but he’s not going to want to be a backup. Why do you think he left Tampa for Chicago in the first place? The Bucs offered to make Glennon the league’s highest-paid backup, but he wanted a chance to start, which he found in Chicago (albeit seemingly temporarily). Also, Glennon’s contract would be attractive to teams looking for a quarterback next year -- ahem, Jets. He has only $2.5 million guaranteed on his deal in 2018 in the form of a roster bonus collected on the third day of the league year. Glennon has a base salary of $12.5 million next season and $12 million in 2019 -- and collects a $2 million roster bonus on 5/5/19.
That’s a relative a bargain for a proven NFL starting quarterback, which Glennon hopes to become in the fall.
All of Chicago should root for Glennon’s success. There is absolutely no downside here. If Glennon plays well, the Bears have a shot to win more games, and they can trade him after the season -- provided Trubisky is good to go. And if Trubisky gets hurt, or is a bust, Glennon is around to pick up the slack.
That’s why Glennon’s sudden heel turn in town is laughable. Sports sometimes separates us from reality. NFL fans freak out when players miss games, yet almost no one thinks twice about calling in sick to work. Trolls from coast to coast love it when certain football players are released, yet when layoffs hit close to home they are no joking matter. You can say, ‘Well, look at all the money Mike Glennon makes this year ($16 million).’ True, Glennon is paid a ridiculous sum of money (for us non-professional athletes), but how many of us that are truly committed to our jobs sit back and say, ‘Oh well, who cares, they’re paying me X amount’ when they feel slighted or wronged at work? Come on.
Glennon isn’t asking for your sympathy. In fact, Glennon hasn’t said one negative word publicly since the Bears drafted Trubisky. But the guy has the right to be upset. He’s human.
The Bears, on other hand, have an obligation to do everything possible to make Glennon happy and successful this season. Everyone benefits under that scenario.