The rookie quarterback the Bears gave up a ton to draft will get a brutal introduction to the NFL

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October 2, 2017 6:02 PM

Mitch Trubisky will get quite the welcome when he makes his first start next week.

On Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter and Dan Graziano reported that rookie Mitch Trubisky would be taking over for Mike Glennon as the starter for the Chicago Bears in Week 5.

The Bears, who are 1-3 and last place in the NFC North after losing to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, paid a handsome sum in this year's NFL draft to move up one spot and take the young quarterback out of North Carolina.

Trubisky will have to climb quite the mountain to bring the Bears back into the playoff picture, and his first two games are anything but an easy start.

Trubisky's debut will be at home under some of the brightest lights in the league, "Monday Night Football," against the stout defense of the Minnesota Vikings. After that, Trubisky will play his first NFL road game in Baltimore against the Ravens, who sport one of the most dominant home-field advantages in the league.

It would be a rough stretch of games for any quarterback, but this one feels especially daunting for a rookie making his NFL debut. If the Vikings' fourth-ranked run defense can shut down the Bears' two most effective offensive weapons in Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, Trubisky may be forced to give up the role of "game manager" in favor of playing a bit of hero ball in his debut.

Trubisky's schedule doesn't get much easier from there, with games against the Panthers, the Packers, the Lions, and the Eagles in the next two months.

Trubisky will be the third rookie quarterback to make his debut this season, with DeShone Kizer of the Browns struggling out of the gate and Deshaun Watson leading the Texans back to 2-2 after winning the starting job from Tom Savage after Week 1.

Making his debut on "Monday Night Football," Trubisky already finds himself in impressive company.

Over the last 30 seasons, o... @ ESPN Stats & Info

We've seen rookies have success in the league right out the gate, most recently Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys last season, and Trubisky looked solid in preseason action this year. But facing a tough defense on national television before hitting the road to take on one of the most dominant home teams in recent memory, Trubisky won't have a lot of time to get his sea legs under him.

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