Bears camp battle to know: Chicago's hopes rest with Mike Glennon or Mitchell Trubisky

Now Playing

Link copied!

The Chicago Bears do not want to admit it, but they have a quarterback battle brewing with Mike Glennon and Mitchell Trubisky.

Chicago signed Glennon to a three-year deal worth $45 million at the start of free agency and have not been shy about their desire to have him as their starter even after drafting Trubisky with the second overall pick in April.

"In regards to Mike Glennon, Glennon is our starting quarterback," general manager Ryan Pace said in a press conference immediately after Trubisky's selection.

Even though the team is calling Glennon the starter, that does not mean there will not be an opportunity to Trubisky to overtake the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer this offseason.

(The Bears are back at training camp! Don't MISS anything as they prepare to try and make the playoffs -- take five seconds to Sign up for our Free Bears newsletter now!)

Glennon entered the NFL as a third-round pick following an impressive career at North Carolina State. He made 13 starts in his rookie season with the Bucs and threw for 2,608 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In his second season, he saw action in just six games (five starts) and threw for 1,417 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions following the addition of Josh McCown that offseason.

The Bucs used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft to select quarterback Jameis Winston, leaving Glennon to mostly sit on the bench for the next two seasons before he hit free agency this offseason.

Chicago's decision to give Glennon big money over the course of three years was an interesting one, but it made it appear that the Bears were ready to give him a shot to be the long-term solution in town before making the trade up for Trubisky.

In his one season as a starter at North Carolina, Trubisky threw for 3,748 yards with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The muscular, 6-foot-2 quarterback looks the part and shows off impressive mobility and athleticism outside the pocket. He has strong arm and stands tall in the pocket, but there are concerns about his limited workload at the college level. He will need to prove he can play under center in the NFL and will also have to improve his accuracy.

SportsLine projects Glennon to see most of the work this season, with Trubisky doing a solid job in limited action:

	CMP/ATT	CmpPerc	PaYd	PaTD	PaInt	RuAtt	RuYd	RuTD	FP*
Mike Glennon	267/435	61.4	3,071	15	18	26	132	1	189
Mitchell Trubisky	67/110	60.9	770	4	4	7	37	0	48

*Fantasy points

Even though the Bears have said Glennon is the starter this offseason, that does not mean a strong showing from Trubisky during training camp and the preseason will keep Chicago from putting him on the field. The rookie signal-caller clearly has the much higher upside of the pair and reportedly performed well during OTAs and minicamp.

If the Bears want to put the best man for the job under center this season, they should prepare for a training camp battle between Trubisky and Glennon.