Bears GM Ryan Pace: Mitchell Trubisky's 5th-Year Option Decision to Come in May

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace said Tuesday at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine the franchise is committed to Mitchell Trubisky as its starting quarterback for next season, but it won't decide on his fifth-year option until May.

"That decision isn't triggered until May," Pace told reporters of Trubisky's option, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.

Pace also let it be known, though, that the organization continues to have faith in Trubisky.

"We believe in Mitch," he said on Tuesday. "Mitch knows he needs to be better. We need to be better around him. And that's our goal."

Per ESPN's Jeff Dickerson, Pace currently views Trubisky as the team's starter for 2020.

The Trubisky era has been a roller-coaster ride since the franchise selected him with the second overall pick in 2017.

After struggling as a rookie with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 appearances, he enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign. He completed 66.6 percent of his throws for 3,223 yards with 24 scores and 12 picks in 14 games.

He failed to build off that success in 2019. Trubisky recorded 17 TDs and 10 interceptions in 15 games while ranking 28th in ESPN's Total QBR and 34th in passer rating.

"I feel like we're close," Trubisky told reporters after the Bears' Week 17 win over the Minnesota Vikings to finish the year 8-8. "I feel like we've got the pieces. We just need to put it all together."

If the Bears select another signal-caller early in the draft and/or sign a notable free agent, it'll be a clear sign the franchise is considering a new direction. Smaller moves to fill the reserve spots would point toward giving the 25-year-old UNC product another year to prove himself.

There's a lot of pressure on the Chicago front office, led by Pace, to make the right decisions because the team's defense is on a playoff, and potentially even championship, level after it ranked fourth in points allowed and eighth in yards allowed last season.

A quarterback often makes or breaks a team's title hopes, however, and Trubisky wasn't good enough in 2019 to lead the Bears to the promised land.