Bears QB situation in their own words: A plan, a twist and a big game Sunday

Mitch Trubisky has awakened Bears fans with his athleticism, arm talent and growing confidence through two exhibition games. Meanwhile, Mike Glennon has thrown two interceptions, and the first-string passing game has failed to click.

So here we are. Exhibition No. 3 Sunday in Nashville, Tenn., against the Titans. Trubisky’s preseason rise has reached first-team reps, planned for the third quarter after Glennon plays the first half.

It’s the Bears’ most overt acknowledgment to date that Trubisky is pushing for the starting job. But this wasn’t exactly the plan. It certainly isn’t the timeline.

So how did we get here so quickly? Here’s a look back in the Bears’ own words.

The Bears signed Glennon on March 9 to a free-agent contract that includes $18.5 million guaranteed. Bears general manager Ryan Pace and director of player personnel Josh Lucas already had zeroed in on drafting Trubisky, but they kept it secret. On March 10, Glennon was introduced and Pace explained the signing.

Pace: “He’s got all the traits that you want in a quarterback. I mean height, arm strength, accuracy, the ability to quickly process. So I don’t know how high the ceiling is. I’m just glad we have him in the mix as our starting quarterback to compete and get better.”

Pace: “On a player like this, you’re evaluating all his college tape. Every single game he’s played in the NFL, including the preseason, and then you’re going off of that. And I can just tell you from being around that player up close and personal for a lot of years, I feel really, really good about it.”

Glennon: “I haven’t played in two-plus years, but I was playing when I was 23, 24. I’m 27 now, and I feel like I’m a much better player. I’ve grown physically, I’ve grown mentally. I’m more confident in my abilities. I’ve seen more NFL defenses. I’ve been part of way more NFL meetings, and, overall, I feel like I’m a much smarter player. I feel I’ve always thrown the ball well, and over the last few years I’ve worked on some things that have made me a better passer that I will show this fall.”

The Bears traded their No. 3 overall pick and three mid-round draft picks to move up one spot and select Trubisky second overall on April 27.

Pace: “As an organization, we had conviction on this quarterback and his special attributes, and we did what we had to do to get him. His potential to be a championship quarterback … is all we focused on in this move. We feel we have the perfect environment for his development.

“In regards to Mike Glennon, Mike Glennon is our starting quarterback. There’s no quarterback competition when Mitch gets here. Glennon is our starting quarterback. We’ll focus on Mitch’s development and Mike Glennon winning games for the Chicago Bears.”

Pace: “There is really no timeline. That’s why I’m fired up that we got Mike. Mike is a good quarterback, and I’m excited about Mike’s future here. There’s no rush on this. I think we’ve got a really good situation for Mitch to come into and develop the right way.”

Trubisky, April 28: “The competitor in you definitely wants to play right away. There are positives and negatives to playing right away and sitting behind someone. You’ve got to learn from the guy in front of you. Learn from their mistakes and also what they do well and, yeah, it’s going to be a huge learning process for me.

“I think Ryan Pace and Coach (John) Fox have a great plan for me and what we’re about to do going forward. So I have full faith in them and whatever they tell me to do, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Fox, April 29, on Trubisky’s timeline to play: “It’s hard to predict any length of time. I think you line up, you compete like any other position, and they decide when that time is.”

Glennon was thrown off by the Bears’ trade up for Trubisky. He next spoke publicly at practice May 23.

Glennon: “Just like everyone here, I was surprised. That’s the bottom line. But it was made clear to me about 10 minutes after from a call from Ryan and the next morning again, the 2017 season is my year. That’s all I can worry about. I’m not worried about the future. I’m not worried about the past. I’m worried about the present, and right now this is my team.”

Trubisky’s uneven practices in the spring and in training camp exemplified his open-ended need to develop command of the Bears offense. But in his game debut Aug. 10, he completed his first 10 passes and finished his first two drives with touchdowns. That was after Glennon threw a pick six on his second attempt.

Glennon: “I don’t think we need to (overreact to) the first preseason game and one quarter of it. Was it what we want? Absolutely not. But it was one quarter of the first preseason game, so it’s definitely fixable.”

Trubisky: “It helped having a play sheet. I knew what I was comfortable with, and I talked it over with Dowell (Loggains, offense coordinator), so we were kind of on the same page. I could go out there and play free.”

Glennon was intercepted again in the second exhibition, and the first-string offense scored three points in three series against the Cardinals’ starters. Trubisky’s play with the second and third strings didn’t sparkle like in his debut, but he and Glennon each threw a touchdown. Now, Trubisky will get at least one series with the first string Sunday.

Trubisky: “I think I’ve progressed faster than they expected I would, but I’ve still got a long ways to go, and I know that. But I think I’ve shown that I’ve earned these reps, and I just need to continue to get better each day.”

Fox: “His performance has been good. To get a true evaluation and for us to look at him, I think you need to do this.”

Glennon: “I just have to control what I can control, and that’s going out there and playing good football for the Bears.”

rcampbell@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Rich_Campbell

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