New quarterback Glennon says 2017 is his year with Bears
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) - Quarterback Mike Glennon was as shocked as anyone when the Chicago Bears drafted Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
A call from general manager Ryan Pace about 10 minutes later eased his mind.
"I think just like everyone here, I was surprised," Glennon said after Tuesday's workout. "That's the bottom line. But it was made clear to me about 10 minutes after from a call from Ryan and the next morning again, the 2017 season is my year.
"That's all I can worry about. I'm not worried about the future. I'm not worried about the past. I'm worried about the present and right now this is my team and that's where my focus is."
Glennon said he didn't discuss the possibility of Chicago drafting a quarterback in the first round with the team prior to signing in March. He insisted he still would have left Tampa Bay for the Bears even if he knew they would pick Trubisky.
Pace has said that Glennon is the starter. But the question remains: For how long, exactly?
The Bears made sweeping changes at quarterback after finishing last in the NFC North at 3-13.
They cut Jay Cutler at the start of free agency, ending an eight-season run that included just one trip to the playoffs. They signed the 6-foot-7 Glennon to a three-year deal the following day, giving him a fresh start after watching Jameis Winston start the past two years for Tampa Bay.
But the big and bold trade with San Francisco to move up a spot to get Trubisky raised all sorts of questions about his future.
Not only did the Bears pounce early to get the QB they wanted rather than wait a round or two, they paid a high price to do it. Along with the No. 3 pick, they sent three more draft choices to the 49ers.
As that unfolded, Glennon was attending a Bears draft party at Soldier Field.
"Honestly it hasn't been hard at all," Glennon said. "I've been out here competing with my teammates. My focus is on right now getting better every day to get ready for the start of the season because this year is my year and I'm not going to worry about the future."
Glennon said he met Trubisky about two weeks ago. And so far, he's impressed.
"He seems like a great kid, eager to learn and I think we'll have a great relationship," Glennon said.
He said he'll help the rookie as much as he can. But he's also focused on trying to re-establish himself as well as a franchise with one playoff appearance since the 2006 Super Bowl season.
"He's kind of grabbed the bull by the horns and I don't expect it to change," coach John Fox said.
Glennon, a third-round draft pick in 2013, was 5-13 as the Buccaneers' starter before Josh McCown took over during the 2014 season. Tampa Bay then drafted Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick in 2015. That basically made a spectator the next two seasons of Glennon, who appeared in a total of two games.
The situation in Chicago bears some similarities with the arrival of Trubisky.
But it's not quite the same.
"I think you can draw similarities, but it's different," he said. "I'm here, this is my year, and the meetings are geared around me. Am I going to help Mitch as much as I can? Definitely. I'm going to be a great teammate. But my job is to win football games for the Chicago Bears. And that's where my head's at."
NOTES: WR Kevin White was among several players who did not participate on a rainy Tuesday, with Fox saying they're being cautious and that there's no new injury. "We're just trying to make sure we get guys ready for camp," he said. "Even more precise, for Game 1 against Atlanta." White was limited to four games last season because of a fractured left fibula after missing his rookie year with a stress fracture in his left shin.
___
For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL