In the last decade, 22 quarterbacks have started at least 12 games in their respective rookie years. If Mitchell Trubisky finishes out the 2017 season, he’ll hit that dozen-start mark as well.
So with that in mind, where do his numbers stack up against that group with three games remaining? His stats could still fluctuate in these final weekends against the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings, of course. But if what he’s done in his first nine starts remains largely unchanged, he’ll have put up numbers that represent a decent foundation on which to build in 2018.
Trubisky has an interception rate of 1.87; only two quarterbacks have gone through their rookie years in the last decade with an interception rate lower than 2 percent: Dallas’ Dak Prescott (0.87, 2016) and Washington’s Robert Griffin III (2012, 1.27 percent). Injuries derailed Griffin’s career, while Prescott has been outstanding while playing next to Ezekiel Elliott and struggled without his running back.
But the point here: Quarterbacks have to learn ball security at some point, and Trubisky may be ahead of the curve in that regard. That the Bears opened up their offense on Sunday, having Trubisky throw 32 passes in a blowout win, was a signal this coaching staff trusted him to operate a more expansive scheme and not turn the ball over (which he did).
Trubisky, though, is only averaging 6.7 yards per attempt — 25th out of 35 qualified quarterbacks in 2017. Of the 22 rookie quarterbacks in the last decade, though, 13 averaged fewer than seven yards per attempt as rookies:
| Quarterback | Rookie Year | Y/A | 2nd year Y/A | +/- |
| Blaine Gabbert | 2011 | 5.4 | 6.0 | +0.6 |
| Derek Carr | 2014 | 5.5 | 7.0 | +1.5 |
| Sam Bradford | 2010 | 6.0 | 6.1 | +0.1 |
| DeShone Kizer | 2017 | 6.0 | N/A | N/A |
| Blake Bortles | 2014 | 6.1 | 7.3 | +1.2 |
| Carson Wentz | 2016 | 6.2 | 7.5 | +1.3 |
| Mike Glennon | 2013 | 6.3 | 7.0 | +0.7 |
| Brandon Weeden | 2012 | 6.6 | 6.5 | -0.1 |
| Andy Dalton | 2011 | 6.6 | 6.0 | +0.3 |
| Mark Sanchez | 2009 | 6.7 | 6.5 | -0.2 |
| Ryan Tannehill | 2012 | 6.8 | 6.7 | -0.1 |
| Geno Smith | 2013 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 0.0 |
| Joe Flacco | 2008 | 6.9 | 7.2 | +0.3 |
That's an average gain of 0.5 yards per attempt from Year 1 to Year 2 isn’t exactly significant, and the names on this list (save for Wentz) aren't exactly inspiring. But here’s a more encouraging comparison: How the 17 quarterbacks in the last decade who’ve started at least 12 games in both their first and second seasons in the league improved in terms of passer rating:
NFL
| Quarterback | Rookie Year | Rookie PR | 2nd year PR | +/- |
| Dak Prescott | 2016 | 104.9 | 91.6 | -13.3 |
| Robert Griffin III | 2012 | 102.4 | 82.2 | -20.2 |
| Russell Wilson | 2012 | 100.0 | 101.9 | +1.9 |
| Marcus Mariota | 2015 | 91.5 | 95.6 | +4.1 |
| Matt Ryan | 2008 | 87.7 | 80.9 | -6.8 |
| Teddy Bridgewater | 2014 | 85.2 | 88.7 | +2.5 |
| Cam Newton | 2011 | 84.5 | 86.2 | +1.7 |
| Jameis Winston | 2015 | 84.2 | 86.1 | +1.9 |
| Andy Dalton | 2011 | 80.4 | 87.4 | +7.0 |
| Joe Flacco | 2008 | 80.3 | 88.9 | +8.6 |
| Carson Wentz | 2016 | 79.3 | 101.9 | +22.6 |
| Derek Carr | 2014 | 76.6 | 91.1 | +14.5 |
| Andrew Luck | 2012 | 76.5 | 87.0 | +10.5 |
| Ryan Tannehill | 2012 | 76.1 | 81.78 | +5.6 |
| Blake Bortles | 2014 | 69.5 | 88.2 | +18.7 |
| Geno Smith | 2013 | 66.5 | 77.5 | +11 |
| Mark Sanchez | 2009 | 63.0 | 75.3 | +12.3 |
Trubisky, entering Saturday’s game against the Detroit Lions, has a passer rating of 80.0.
Most quarterbacks made at at least incremental gains from Year 1 to Year 2, with Ryan probably the biggest outlier here given he was fine as a rookie, then took a step back in Year 2. Prescott and Griffin both had passer ratings over 100 as rookies and regressed as sophomores.
Nine of the quarterbacks above had a rookie passer rating between 75-85: Winston, Wentz, Tannehill, Newton, Luck, Flacco, Dalton, Carr and Bridgewater (we’re including Bridgewater in here, because 85.2 is close enough). Those nine quarterbacks averaged a passer rating gain of 8.3 points from Year 1 to Year 2. Overall, these 17 quarterbacks saw, on average, their passer ratings increase by 4.8 points from Year 1 to Year 2.
So beyond the encouraging signs we’ve seen from Trubisky on and off the field this year, the numbers point to the Bears’ franchise quarterback improving in his second season in the NFL. An that’s a good start to answering the question of how far the Bears can go in 2018, no matter who he’s throwing to or who’s coaching him.