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Factoid

Mitchell Trubisky

Bears looking to get young quarterback going

Is there any hope for Mitchell Trubisky? They’ve added some new weapons, but he was pretty stinky as a rookie.

Trubisky averaged only 183 passing yards in the 12 games he started, and he threw only 7 touchdowns. He also ran for a pair of touchdowns, but you’re still looking at fewer touchdowns than games.

In the last 10 years, 22 other quarterbacks have started at least half of the season and averaged under a touchdown per game. Only one of those quarterbacks came back the next season and put up really good fantasy numbers (Blake Bortles, who somehow threw 35 TDs and ran for 2 TDs while simultaneously playing poorly enough for the Jaguars to finish 5-11.)

Three others at least were able to finish with 20-plus touchdowns the next year, playing well enough to be worthy of roster spots at backups in typical 12-team fantasy leagues. Sam Bradford in 2012 averaged 231 yards, with 21 TD passes. Ryan Tannehill in 2012 averaged 245 yards, with 24 TDs. And Jason Campbell in 2009 tossed 20 TDs and averaged 226 yards. All three of those quarterbacks also ran for 1 TD.

Back to Trubisky. He presumably has some sense of what’s going on now, and they’ve added some weapons around him. If they’ve scouted them properly, Trey Burton will be a receiving threat at tight end, and Allen Robinson’s knee is sound and he’ll be their go-to type receiver. They also signed Taylor Gabriel, and he’s suppose to stretch defenses with his speed.

Jared Goff rose from the ashes to put up good numbers last year, so I suppose we can never say never. But I’m not confident that Trubisky will wind up among my top 20 quarterbacks for 2018.

AVERAGING UNDER A TOUCHDOWN PER GAME
YearPlayerStYdsTDPTDRTot
2009JaMarcus Russell, Oak.9118.22.00.22
2010Jimmy Clausen, Car.10150.30.00.30
2009Marc Bulger, St.L.9163.56.00.56
2011• Sam Bradford, St.L.10216.60.00.60
2010Derek Anderson, Ariz.9192.67.00.67
2014• Blake Bortles, Jac.13207.69.00.69
2015Nick Foles, St.L.11187.64.09.73
2009Jake Delhomme, Car.11183.73.00.73
2008Marc Bulger, St.L.15181.73.00.73
2017Mitchell Trubisky, Chi.12183.58.17.75
2008Kerry Collins, Tenn.15174.80.00.80
2008Ryan Fitzpatrick, Cin.12159.67.17.83
2014Brian Hoyer, Clev.13246.85.00.85
2010Brett Favre, Minn.13193.85.00.85
2011Blaine Gabbert, Jac.14154.86.00.86
2012Mark Sanchez, NYJ15192.87.00.87
2012• Ryan Tannehill, Mia.16206.75.13.88
2008• Jason Campbell, Wash.16203.81.06.88
2013Kellen Clemens, St.L.9184.89.00.89
2012Blaine Gabbert, Jac.10166.90.00.90
2013Chad Henne, Jac.13240.92.00.92
2012Brandon Weeden, Clev.15226.93.00.93
2008JaMarcus Russell, Oak.15162.87.07.93

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index