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Rozner: It's not over yet for Trubisky in Chicago

The Bears have had yet another magnificent week.

It's quite remarkable, really.

Having gone without a Super Bowl for nearly 35 years, it seems they can do no wrong. That's the impression one gets while viewing the support they receive for every decision they make.

It was brilliant in 2017 when they gave away picks, moved up a single selection and drafted at No. 2 a quarterback with 13 starts of college experience.

It was smart when they blamed John Fox for Mitch Trubisky's inability to play the game or understand the playbook.

It was outstanding when they had superb draft after superb draft to support the quarterback.

It was genius when they decided after last season that Trubisky would face competition.

It was miraculous when they brought in Nick Foles.

And now it is perfect that they have declined Trubisky's fifth-year option as he enters his fourth season still trying to figure out how to play quarterback at the NFL level.

Honestly, the Bears and GM Ryan Pace can do no wrong.

Based on all you are sold, it's as if they are coming off a Super Bowl three-peat, and the one certainty is Pace and Trubisky are never to blame.

While viewing the consistent platitudes with just a hint of skepticism, the decision to eschew the fifth-year option at this juncture is as simple as it gets from a procedural standpoint.

Compared by the Bears to Drew Brees when he was drafted, and after coddling him for three years, the Bears are now challenging Trubisky rather than giving him nearly $25 million for 2021.

If he takes the job back from Foles in 2020 and plays even halfway decent, Pace will absolutely sign Trubisky to a long-term deal, or franchise him for 2021.

Trubisky is today and will forever be Ryan Pace's guy.

So, no, it's not over yet for Trubisky in Chicago, as much as you might want it to be, or as much as it seems obvious to anyone with reasonable vision. History tells us that when a high pick at QB hasn't done enough after three years to merit a fifth year, it's not likely to happen.

But all the paperwork means today is the Bears haven't made their decision on the quarterback. In and of itself, this is a difficult admission for Pace, the GM who staked his career on seeing something no one else did.

Still, the Bears couldn't possibly be more excited about Trubisky's attitude, the way he's embracing the challenge and totally getting after it, following a season in which he finished 32nd in yards gained per attempt, 28th in quarterback rating and 27th in touchdown passes.

But he's fired up, so that's pretty great.

You understand why Matt Nagy has to sell the optimism about the GM's quarterback, but it has to be Nagy who forced Pace to admit it hasn't worked and begged him to bring in another quarterback, but don't assume that Pace has given up. Six years into his Bears rebuild, rest assured he has a belief in Trubisky that few others maintain.

But if Pace wants to keep his job he will need the Bears to go deep into the 2020 postseason, producing thus far 60 minutes of exhilarating playoff football during his much-heralded tenure in Chicago.

Based on offseason additions, it might be that he finally understands his predicament, that he's willing to listen to arguments on Trubisky.

At least he's allowing Nagy to ponder such even if he doesn't.

This offers a glimmer of hope. No, really. There should be optimism based on Pace getting out of his own head and instead of dreaming about Trubisky's greatness, he's listening to a head coach who actually knows what NFL quarterbacks are supposed to look like.

No need here to mention Pat Mahomes or Deshaun Watson, or the contracts they will soon receive, or that they were selected behind Trubisky in the 2017 draft. There can't be anyone this side of the Rubicon that doesn't fully understand the math heading into the experiment's fourth year.

At the same time, in the event that Trubisky has a great year, Pace can pat himself on the back again and hand the quarterback tens of millions of the McCaskey's money and all will be well in Lake Forest as they plan for parades and banner-raising ceremonies.

There are at least two people who absolutely believe this is possible.

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