Bears declining 5th yr. option on Mitchell Trubisky, QB they chose AHEAD of Patrick Mahomes AND DeShaun Watson. I asked Doug Williams where Mahomes and Watson would have gone if they’d been white: “Ahead of Trubisky,” he said. “Ahead of No. 2” I said. “Absolutely,” he answered.
— John Feinstein (@JFeinsteinBooks) May 3, 2020
For those who are unaware or forgot, the Bears traded up in the 2017 draft from the number three to number two pick to get Mitchell Trubisky. This is the same draft that Patrick Mahomes was selected at the number 10 pick and Deshaun Watson at the number 12 pick. Three years later and Mitchell Trubisky has turned out to be a mediocre quarterback at best. While Watson has become a proven franchise quarterback and Mahomes has won a Super Bowl and a MVP.
Selecting players is not an exact science and sports teams screw it up all the time. It’s hard to predict what players will become successful and which ones will not. Many teams passed on Tom Brady, who was picked in the sixth round and now many regard him as the greatest quarterback ever.
It is quite possible that the Bears just picked the wrong guy. It is also possible that Mitch Trubisky will turn out to be the quarterback that they envisioned. However, it would be naive to think that race doesn’t play a factor when teams select players in general. Specifically at the quarterback position.