Bears splitting QB playing time just right

Just about the only storyline that matters with the 2017 Chicago Bears is the quarterbacks.

For better or worse, that is where all the focus is going to be. The now is Mike Glennon, the future is Mitchell Trubisky and however the Bears are playing it will be the most overanalyzed position.

The NFL is a quarterback driven league and as it is the most important position in the league, this is not surprising. The Bears have great position battles building around their roster: at WR, at CB and S but all eyes remain on the QBs even while the depth chart remains solidly in place.

Even after the sensational debut of Trubisky, Glennon remains entrenched as the starter. While many may lament the fact that Trubisky is buried third on the depth chart, the Bears might be playing this just right.

During last week’s game, the Bears split the snaps just right.

According to the NFL’s Game Stats and Information, Glennon played 22 snaps or 28 percent of the offense’s snaps while Mark Sanchez played eight snaps, 10 percent of the total offensive snaps and Trubisky, the third QB, played 49 snaps, amounting to 63 percent of the snaps.

While yes, that is only 99 percent of the snaps accounted for, I presume there is some rounding going on somewhere. But the point is, Trubisky, the most inexperienced of the three QBs received the most total snaps and played the highest percentage of the game at QB.

Glennon and Sanchez are experienced NFL QBs. Obviously Glennon needs snaps and live reps because he is in a new system and he will likely be leading the offense when the regular season rolls around but the first preseason game isn’t really for ironing out the kinks yet.

Trubisky on the other hand, needs all the live NFL reps he can get, even if they are against back ups.

For many teams, the first preseason game is one series for the starter, another three or four for the second stringer and most of the rest of the game for the third and sometimes even the fourth QB.

Not only did they insert Trubisky into the game when some second stringers were still on the field but they also threw him into the game in a 2-minute drill situation.

Throwing him into the proverbial fire, even if it was a meaningless game, was a nice way to say ‘let’s see what you got, kid.’

The play calling from Dowell Loggains also deserves praise. Loggains used a lot of shotgun and play-action to get the inexperienced Trubisky comfortable and into a rhythm quickly.

From there, Trubisky did the rest.

Maybe, just maybe, the Bears know how to develop a quarterback after all. Let’s see how they split the snaps this week.