(670 The Score) Bears coach Matt Nagy on Friday wished former Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky well as he has moved on to Buffalo.
"I’m indebted to Mitch and what he’s done for so many different reasons," Nagy said of Trubisky, who's now the Bills' backup quarterback. "It’s hard to go through these processes. I care so much about him. It didn’t work out here.
"For different reasons, it didn’t work out. But I certainly appreciate the way that he handled everything."
Despite those gracious comments, the true feelings that Nagy and the Bears felt toward Trubisky were clear this past offseason. After four inconsistent seasons -- including three under Nagy's watch -- Trubisky was viewed as a detriment to an offense that has ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in the last two seasons.
That's what led the Bears to decline the fifth-year option on Trubisky last May, which signaled the likelihood that a divorce from their No. 2 overall pick in 2017 was coming. Though Trubisky made a case for a new contract in Chicago with his performance late last season, it wasn't enough to alter the thinking of Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace.
The Bears allowed Trubisky to walk into free agency and then signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to a one-year, $10-million deal, assuring him that he would be Chicago's starter.
Dalton, 33, is no longer the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback of his past, but the Bears view him as an upgrade over Trubisky and a better fit for them.
"That's one of the areas of our team where we feel like we're improving," Pace said of the decision to replace Trubisky with Dalton.
During their three seasons together, Nagy was Trubisky's biggest defender. Nagy spoke of his confidence in 2018, preached patience in 2019 and then offered Trubisky one last chance in 2020. In that time, Trubisky struggled to learn Nagy's scheme, and Nagy failed to cater it to Trubisky's strengths. The disconnect grew as the games passed by. The Bears ranked 29th in scoring in 2019 and 22nd last season, finishing 8-8 in the regular season both years.
Nagy and Pace were always more likely to be retained by the Bears than Trubisky, who landed with the Bills on a one-year deal to back up Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen for the reigning AFC East champions. The Bears' bigger move at quarterback could come in the draft, but they maintain that Dalton will be the starter heading into the 2021 season.
Dalton isn't the caliber of quarterback whose arrival instantly changes the course of a team. He isn't what Tom Brady meant to the Buccaneers last year or what could've been had the Bears acquired Seahawks star quarterback Russell Wilson in a trade. Dalton is a capable veteran who can lead an offense, and the Bears trust he can operate their preferred scheme well.
That's something the Bears believed Trubisky simply couldn't do.
"Andy fits our style of offense," Pace said. "When you go through it with our scouts and coaches, he can handle the drop-back game, he can handle the RPOs, the play-actions, the movements. We just felt as we went through those free-agent quarterbacks, he’s one of the more complete quarterbacks we evaluated this year in free agency and we’re excited to have him.”
Nearly three full months into this offseason, Nagy and the Bears' offensive coaching staff are concluding the process of scheme evaluation. Part of that included Nagy's decision to resume his role as the team's play-caller, a role he relinquished last November while the offense faltered.
The Bears' offense remains mostly unchanged around the newcomer Dalton, with star receiver Allen Robinson locked in with the franchise tag and the majority of starters returning to the unit. Veteran running back Damien Williams joined the Bears on a one-year deal, the most notable addition to the offense aside from Dalton.
It's looking like the Bears may be making plans for a more dedicated running scheme based around David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen and Williams. The concept would prioritize the rushing attack, which could then create opportunities for Dalton and the passing game. But committing to the running game is Nagy's responsibility.
Whatever changes the Bears make to their offense are up to Nagy, whose scheme has been lacking a true identity in his three seasons as head coach. Dalton won't change Chicago's fortunes, but the Bears feel he's better than Trubisky.
It leaves the Bears' burden squarely on Nagy's shoulders.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.