UNC Football: Trubisky and the Chicago Bears heading to the playoffs

The former UNC football standout will make his second NFL postseason appearance as a member of the Chicago Bears.

Heading into Week 17, the playoff status of the Chicago Bears was still up in the air. The Bears had to secure a victory in their final regular season contest, or needed some help in order to secure their playoff berth.

The Bears couldn’t get the job done on their own, as they were defeated by division rival Green Bay (who was playing to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC). However, the Bears got the help they needed, as the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals. This scenario means that former UNC football standout Mitchell Trubisky will make his second career appearance in the postseason.

Now in his fourth season in the NFL, Trubisky had a lot of pressure on him heading into this season. As the Bears declined his fifth year team option, Trubisky had to come out and prove that he should be considered the quarterback of the future for the franchise — or another organization.

Three weeks into the season, Trubisky was benched for veteran journeyman Nick Foles. At that point, it looked as if Trubisky may have taken his last snap as the team’s starting quarterback. However, Trubisky was thrust back into action in Week 12, and served as the team’s starter over the last five weeks of the season. Over that span, the Bears went 3-2 to end their season with an 8-8 record, just good enough to squeeze into the playoffs.

Once he regained the starter’s role, Trubisky was solid overall. He threw for 200 or more yards in each game, and threw 10 touchdown passes compared to just four interceptions over 169 attempts.

Now, don’t expect the final five games to make the team’s decision on Trubisky’s future with the franchise. It’s likely that the organization will wait until after the season to decide the fate of their former No. 2 overall pick.

However, if Trubisky puts up some impressive performances this postseason, he could make the decision difficult for the Bears. If the team is leaning toward looking at other options, a strong playoff showing from the former Tar Heel could make the organization rethink their offseason approach. If the Bears are set in parting ways with Trubisky, this could serve as an audition for the other teams that will be in need of a quarterback this offseason.

The Bears will begin their postseason run next weekend, as they will travel to New Orleans for their first round matchup. Times and dates for all playoff contests have not yet been announced.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Mitch Trubisky, and all the former UNC football alumni playing in the NFL.