NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Vikings

Bears

When the Bears traded up to the No. 2 overall pick to take QB Mitchell Trubisky in 2017, it ensured Trubisky would forever face comparisons to the other two quarterbacks taken in the first round that year — Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Texans QB Deshaun Watson. Trubisky will be face-to-face with those comparisons on Sunday for the first time as the Bears take on the Chiefs. 

“You just play your game and find a way to win for your team,” Trubisky said via the Chicago Sun-Times’s Mark Potash. “The comparisons are out there, and they are never going to stop. Me, Pat and Deshaun are kind of all grouped together because we’re in the same draft class, drafted in the first round and all that.”

“But there are no do-overs. We are where we are,” Trubisky continued. “Our careers are going in different paths, and they will for the rest of time, and they’ll be compared against each other. It’s just the nature of the beast. But I’m in competition with myself and just trying to be the best version of me and win games for the Chicago Bears, and [the comparison talk] is just something that I can’t control. It is what it is. But two good guys to be compared to. Hopefully, we just keep getting better and help the league.”

• The Athletic’s Adam Jahns writes not to be surprised if the Bears pick up Trubisky’s fifth-year option. 
• Jahns says the team’s other options include bringing in a veteran to push Trubisky as a viable alternative, like Titans QB Marcus Mariota or Saints QB Teddy Bridgewater. But since both are set to be unrestricted free agents, it’s possible another team could drive up the price beyond what Chicago can afford. 
• Chicago could also try to trade for a veteran like Redskins QB Alex Smith or Jaguars QB Nick Foles to mentor Trubisky, but their original teams aren’t guaranteed to part with them. 
• Jahns notes the Bears will likely draft a quarterback at some point in 2020. 

Lions

The Lions are expected to make major changes on the defensive side of the football after a season in which they were worse defensively than even the 0-16 season. One of those changes could include CB Darius Slay, who is entering the final year of his deal and made some noise this offseason about wanting a new contract. Slay was noncommital about his future. 

“I always expect to be here,” Slay said via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press, “because you sign a contract to be here, dah, dah, dah, dah. But you never know. Just like I said, you never know.”

“I’m going to play ball,” Slay added. “We’ll see when that time gets here, but we’ll see.”

Vikings

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook hasn’t yet ruled out playing Monday night against the Packers despite a report Minnesota is thinking about resting him until the playoffs. Cook has been dealing with a painful shoulder injury, but he’s been able to play through it to some degree, though when opponents have hit him just right it has sidelined him. 

“I’m going to go through my normal routine to get ready for Monday night,” Cook said via Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “We’re going to see how it goes. I’ve been in the training room every day, starting my mornings every day. Trying to get my shoulder right so I can be available when my team need me.”