OFFICIAL: Mitch Trubisky Signs Contract

[Boris13c]

Will Mitch Trubisky and Bears reach agreement before rookies report?

In June, the Bears and Mitch Trubisky each downplayed the possibility that a contract impasse might keep the rookie quarterback from reporting to the start of training camp. But that scenario continued inching closer to reality Wednesday morning.

Trubisky remained unsigned while rookies prepared to report to Halas Hall later Wednesday for a week of meetings and strength and conditioning work. They will head to Bourbonnais to join the veterans July 26. Full-squad practices don't begin until July 27.

By rule, Trubisky cannot participate in any part of the Bears' program until he is under contract. The team would begin without him Wednesday if an agreement cannot be reached. However, it would not be surprising if he reported, signed and joined his teammates on time.

Trubisky has been the Bears' only unsigned draft pick since May 19. As of Tuesday, he was one of five unsigned rookies who were drafted in the top 10. Both sides kept a low profile as Wednesday approached, but Trubisky did say on June 3 that he wasn't worried about his contract status.

"I'm going to be out here at practice every day," he said. "My agent and the Bears organization is going to handle that. But I'm not really sure how that stuff works. I'm here to play football."

Trubisky is represented by Rep1 Sports, an agency based in Irvine, Calif. It also represents Marcus Mariota and Carson Wentz, quarterbacks who, like Trubisky, were drafted second overall by teams who traded up to pick them.

So this is the third straight year in which agent Bruce Tollner is doing the contract for the quarterback drafted at No. 2. That's a helpful constant in analyzing what to expect in Trubisky's situation with the Bears.

Now, the rookie wage scale implemented in 2011 by the NFL and its players' union removed a lot of wiggle room from rookie contracts. But negotiable details still exist, and one of those is offset language.

It's common for salary guarantees to have offset language associated with them. It allows a team to recoup guaranteed money if a player is cut and signs with another team.

More specifically, an offset clause stipulates that if a team cuts a player to whom it has guaranteed money, the team would owe the player only the difference between the original guarantee and the amount of his new deal with another team.

Without an offset clause, a player could double-dip, so to speak: Earn his full guarantee from the first employer, plus the full amount from his next employer.

so the rookie wage scale has solved most issues but apparently there are a few things that can still be problematic

[wab]

It's usually the bonus structure/option payments that hold things up. The years are the years and the money is the money.

[G08]

I sincerely hope he's not stupid enough to start his Chicago Bears career with a holdout...

[staleystarch]

With neither the Bears or Trubisky's agent leaking negative narratives I am not worried yet. The key word here is 'yet'.

[staleystarch]

I sincerely hope he's not stupid enough to start his Chicago Bears career with a holdout...

I also hope the Bears are not stupid enough to force a holdout.

[G08]

Update this shit! Kid signed today!!

[G08]

Yes!

[wab]

Christ you are fast. Did you have this already typed up and saved as a draft??

[UOK]

"four-year deal that includes a club option for the fifth year"

No numbers just yet.

[G08]

Christ you are fast. Did you have this already typed up and saved as a draft??

I...uh... was on the shitter and twitter told me

[Boris13c]

from the Trib

Mitch Trubisky signs contract as Bears rookies report for camp

I didn't think this was going to be an issue since both sides were pretty adamant about their intentions

and while we're on the subject, let us take a moment to simply savor a successful process :

* Pace does better than the CIA and NSA combined at keeping secrets, surprises everyone with draft day effort

* Trubisky has said all of the right things since being drafted, and seems to mean all of what he said

* In spite of questions about a potential holdout, deal is done right before he is to report to work

[Otis Day]

I wasn't really concerned. They way they have rook salaries slotted, I was pretty confident a deal would be reached prior to camp. There was incidental shit, but the Bears have been good about getting guys signed.

Let the battle begin.

[G08]

This feels like the start of something good.... God I hope it's right.

[wab]

The fall of Longneck Gingerderp begins....now.

[wab]

Merging.

[Adipost]

[video][/video]

[UOK]

Trubisky's four-year deal is expected to be worth approximately $29 million, fully guaranteed, including a signing bonus of about $19 million. It was not immediately known whether it includes offset language, stipulations that enable the team to recoup guaranteed money in a worst-case scenario involving Trubisky being cut and signing elsewhere.

The deal includes a fifth-year option for 2021 that the Bears could exercise after the 2019 season.

[Boris13c]

The deal includes a fifth-year option for 2021 that the Bears could exercise after the 2019 season.

if the fates smile upon us, around the time when they are considering the 5th year option is when Trubisky will get a 5 year extension to allow him to get a couple more rings as a Bear

[Mikefive]

The King of the North? Really?

I hope as much as anyone that Trubisky surpasses Rodgers. But to make a youtube statement like that? Wow. What a homer. I guess everyone's entitled to their O.

[Boris13c]

The King of the North? Really?

I hope as much as anyone that Trubisky surpasses Rodgers. But to make a youtube statement like that? Wow. What a homer. I guess everyone's entitled to their O.

I applaud the guy's optimism and enthusiasm, but maybe everyone should wait until Trubisky actually plays before proclaiming anything

[Otis Day]

Especially with the history and track record at the position for this franchise.

Hell, maybe Glennon is going to be the shit!!

[Boris13c]

Hell, maybe Glennon is going to be the shit!!

if you remove the word "the", you will probably be closer to how most feel

I choose to be optimistic ... optimistic that the bright kid I knew from Westfield High School will be someone to be proud of as the Bears QB ... he'll most likely lose the job to Trubisky eventually, but I prefer it to be more in line with the Drew Brees/Phillip Rivers scenario in San Diego than because he can't handle the job

[UOK]

@corryjoel
The Bears made a concession to Mitchell Trubisky on offsets. His $4,656,478 of 2018-2020 training camp roster bonuses don't have offsets.

[G08]

@corryjoel
The Bears made a concession to Mitchell Trubisky on offsets. His $4,656,478 of 2018-2020 training camp roster bonuses don't have offsets.

Basically they're "gambling" that he doesn't have a career ending injury prior to/in those seasons.

[wab]

Basically they're "gambling" that he doesn't have a career ending injury prior to/in those seasons.

Well he's a Bear. So...

[G08]

Basically they're "gambling" that he doesn't have a career ending injury prior to/in those seasons.

Well he's a Bear. So...

None of that around Mitchell!! Nothing but positive vibes for our newest cub

[Boris13c]

Basically they're "gambling" that he doesn't have a career ending injury prior to/in those seasons.

Well he's a Bear. So...

[staleystarch]

I have a good feeling about Mitch, but then again there was a time when I thought Ryan Leaf was a better pick than Peyton Manning.