While the Bears need to use the rest of this season to figure out their future, it might serve Mitch Trubisky best to sit out until his injured hip recovers enough to get a fair shot. With no up-and-comer behind him, that would put journeyman Chase Daniel the field Sunday against the Giants.
Daniel came in for Trubisky with three minutes left in the 17-7 loss to the Rams, seemingly to the surprise of his teammates and certainly a shocker to TV viewers, and the Bears are ready to roll with him as long as necessary.
“We’ve played with Chase before, so it’s a familiar face,” wide receiver Allen Robinson said. “It’s just our job as the receivers and supporting cast to — whoever’s under center — support those guys.”
Daniel, 33, has started five games since entering the NFL in 2009. The Bears signed him because of his familiarity with Nagy from their three years together in Kansas City, and he has jumped in eight times the last two seasons.
He got basically two full games this season — he took over for Trubisky on the opening drive against the Vikings and started the next week — and completed 73.3 percent of his passes, averaged 213 yards and had three touchdowns against two interceptions for a 95.6 rating.
Aside from the interceptions, all of those numbers are better than Trubisky’s for the season. His 82.2 passer rating ranks 26th out 33 qualifying quarterbacks.
The Bears don’t need to see anything from Daniel to make a decision on him as he heads into free agency after the season, but his competency and mastery of the playbook would assist them in evaluating the rest of the personnel.
Likewise, the Bears already know what they have in practice-squad quarterback Tyler Bray. He would presumably be added to the roster if Trubisky is out. Bray appeared briefly in a 2017 game for the Chiefs, and that’s the extent of his playing time since turning pro in 2013.
