Mitch Trubisky is the Chicago Bears' starting quarterback in 2020, but he'll be pushed.

Multiple league sources expect Chicago to add an established veteran quarterback this offseason, most likely with pedigree and extensive starter's experience.

The Bears are evaluating options, with the prevailing theme that an upgrade at the backup spot is necessary. Chase Daniel occupied the role the past two years.

The team can try to follow the formula of the Tennessee Titans, who last season signed Ryan Tannehill to a one-year contract as a backup, only to bench Marcus Mariota in favor of the veteran six games into the season. Tannehill led the NFL in passer rating and quarterbacked the Titans to the AFC title game.

Free agents such as Mariota or Washington's Case Keenum are options, while Cincinnati's Andy Dalton might be available via trade.

One potential hurdle is cap space. The Bears have $25,197,387 of space entering March, according to ESPN's Roster Management System, but they can gain more with contract restructures or player releases. Dalton currently holds a $17.7 million cap hit on the Bengals' books. Cincinnati might be able to eat some of that money to facilitate a deal.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace said at the NFL scouting combine that Trubisky, 25, will be the starter in 2020, but he was noncommittal about picking up Trubisky's fifth-year option for 2021.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft saw his numbers dip nearly across the board in 2020. He finished 326-of-516 passing (63.2%) for 3,138 yards, 17 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 83.0 rating in 15 starts. Trubisky also played through an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, which required surgery after the season.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Clemson do-it-all defender Isaiah Simmons was the brightest star of the night Saturday at the NFL scouting combine.

Simmons, who lined up almost everywhere at some point in the Clemson defense, was put with the linebackers in the on-field workouts at the combine. And he blistered the turf inside Lucas Oil Stadium with, at 6-foot-3⅝ and 238 pounds, a 4.39-second clocking in the 40-yard dash.

It was the second-fastest 40 time for a linebacker at the combine since 2006, behind only Shaquem Griffin, who ran a 4.38 at the 2018 combine. Simmons, however, weighed in 11 pounds heavier and is 3⅝ inches taller than Griffin was at the combine.

Whether Simmons actually is called a linebacker in the NFL remains to be seen, as some teams see him as a potential safety who could move down to linebacker in some personnel groupings. This past season, Simmons lined up on the defensive line, at linebacker, as a nickel cornerback and safety at times for the Tigers.

When asked earlier this week what he says when people ask him what position he plays, he replied: "Defense.''

Simmons, who earned his degree in December, finished this past season as the Butkus Award winner as the nation's best linebacker, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. He had 102 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks and three interceptions.

Simmons also had a 39-inch vertical jump at the combine to go with an 11-foot broad jump. The vertical was tied for second best among the linebackers and the broad jump was best among the linebackers.

"I know years ago it wasn't good to be a positionless guy,'' Simmons said earlier this week. "But now it's become a benefit for me just because of all the versatility I'll be able to do, play linebacker, play safety, whatever it is, I feel like it just helps me out.''

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Rick Mears is among six elected for induction into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.

Mears’ fellow enshrinees in the Class of 2020 – over two rounds of voting by the Hall’s board of directors – are Mike Bliss, a USAC Silver Crown and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion; Craig Keough, a Las Vegas team owner and track sponsor; Jim Pettit II, the 1984 NASCAR Pacific Coast Region champion; Jerry Pitts, ARCA Menards Series West championship crew chief and team owner and Tom Sneva, the 1982 Indianapolis 500 winner and a ferocious  pavement supermodified champion.

The Class of 2020 – the hall’s 17th – will be enshrined June 11 during the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame’s annual induction ceremonies, presented by Gateway Motorsports Park, at the Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa, Calif. The event leads into the NASCAR Cup Series and ARCA Menards Series West weekend at nearby Sonoma Raceway.

The organization also will induct its third Heritage class of five individuals whose careers largely ended prior to 1970. The Heritage inductees will be named in April.

“Without a question, this is the most diversified class since the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame’s inception in 2001,” said Ken Clapp, Chairman and CEO of the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. “From the grassroots level to the Indianapolis 500; from storied drivers to the mechanics and sponsors who make it possible, these inductees represent motorsports in its entirety.”

SEBRING, Fla. – Large fields filled with deep talent set a highly competitive tone during the first qualifying sessions of the Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli season on Saturday at Sebring Int’l Raceway.

Eight different teams representing four manufacturers slotted into the top eight positions during the Trans-Am qualifying.

Reigning TA class champion Ernie Francis Jr. captured pole position for the opening Trans-Am race of the campaign, turning a fast lap of 1:59.266 in the No. 98 One South Wealth Advisors Ford Mustang on his Sebring home track.

Bolting to the top of the time sheets early in the session, Francis broke the two-minute barrier at Sebring for the first time in Trans-Am history.

Riding a streak of six-consecutive Trans-Am championships in multiple classes, the Florida-native broke Lawrence Loshak’s year-old mark of 2:00.427.

“I feel really good to get back on track at one of my favorite places that we run all season,” said Francis. “It felt really good around here. We tested here a few weeks ago and clocked in some really quick laps. We knew in yesterday’s practice that we’d rolled off the trailer with a very fast car. This qualifying session showed it, and we were able to set the pace for the race and I think we are going to set the pace for the rest of the season.”

Francis will share the front row with 2015 Sebring pole and race winner Amy Ruman, who ran a fast lap time of 2:03.04 in the No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette. Adam Andretti qualified third with a time 2:03.259 in the No. 43 ECC/Anchor Bolt & Screw Dodge Challenger that is carrying a tribute livery to the late John Andretti. Joining Andretti on the second row is Simon Gregg, driving the No. 59 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

Tomy Drissi, who was second fastest in practice earlier in the day, returned to the pits following just one qualifying lap after experiencing mechanical issues. The Burtin Racing driver will start 11th, sharing the sixth row with 2019 Trans-Am runner-up Chris Dyson. Dyson did not qualify after his No. 20 Plaid Ford Mustang was badly damaged in an incident late in Saturday morning practice. The New Yorker expects to have the car ready for Sunday’s 100-mile race.

The TA2 Powered by AEM class qualified late in the day on Saturday, and as the sun sank into the Florida horizon, it caused visibility issues early in the 15-minute qualifying.

Stevens Miller Racing driver Mike Skeen rose to the occasion, shattering the three-year-old Sebring International Raceway track record with a lap of 2:06.513 to take his first Trans-Am pole. Skeen will lead the field to the green flag at in the class’ season debut behind the wheel of the No. 77 Liqui Moly/Turn 14 Chevrolet Camaro.

“It feels awesome to get the pole,” said Skeen. “We had high hopes when Joe Stevens called me to drive the Liqui-Moly car. It was super competitive, there are a lot of really good guys here so we were not sure where we’d end up. But I’m really excited, and really impressed. The Stevens Miller team put a really good car together and I’m happy to represent them up front here already and hopefully we can do that again tomorrow.”

Making his return to Trans-Am, two-time champion Cameron Lawrence took second in TA2 qualifying with a fast lap of 2:06.809. Sharing the second row in the 100-mile race will be Thomas Merrill and Louis Philippe Montour.

The new Xtreme GT class made its debut at Sebring Int’l Raceway with a first-time Trans-Am Series entrant taking top honors in qualifying. Erich Joiner won the pole, running 2:06.030 in the No. 10 Championship Coffees and Tool Porsche 911 GT3 R. He edged out Ken Thwaits, and Marc Montour.

“I feel pretty good,” said Joiner. “It is my first time here at Sebring and my first time in Trans-Am, so I’m very happy.”

Tim Kezman led the SGT competitors with a lap of 2:10.000 in the No. 44 Lemons of Love Porsche 991 GT3 Cup, but he will have his work cut out for him on Sunday with heavy hitters Lee Sunders and Mark Boden starting behind him.

In his maiden GT qualifying, Tim Horrell broke the GT track record, with a time of 2:15.399 in the No. 45 Breathless Racing Porsche GT4 Clubsport. Steven Davison will start second in class.

FONTANA, Calif. – At one time, Joe Gibbs Racing was the team to beat in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Auto Club Speedway, winning nine races in a row between 2008 and 2013.

Then came a seven-year winless drought at the two-mile oval, where other organizations prospered, but 19-year-old Harrison Burton finally rekindled JGR’s Fontana prominence on Saturday afternoon.

Burton drove to victory in the Production Alliance Group 300, holding off a last-lap charge from his teammate Riley Herbst to win in just his 12th career Xfinity Series start and third as a full-time driver.

The son of NASCAR on NBC analyst and former NASCAR Cup Series star Jeff Burton led 32 of the final 33 laps, taking command of the race with an inside pass in turn two on lap 118 when Chase Briscoe’s Ford Mustang slid wide off the exit of the corner.

That allowed Burton’s Toyota Supra to get out into clean air, which he used to the fullest as Briscoe tried to chase the young gun back down.

Briscoe finally spun during his pursuit efforts, going around off turn four with 24 laps left and bringing out the last of eight cautions that waved during the 300-mile event.

That set up a wild restart with 19 to go, in which Burton and Herbst started outside and inside, respectively, but swapped lanes a half lap after the restart in a battle to find grip out front.

Burton eventually won out, opening up as much as two seconds over his nearest pursuers as the laps wound down, but a gaggle of slower traffic in the final laps let Herbst close right back to Burton’s rear bumper.

Coming to two laps to go, Herbst was looking inside off turn four in an attempt to draft alongside Burton for the top spot, but Burton stayed true to the top groove and pulled away as the white flag loomed.

A last-ditch run to the bottom on the final lap wasn’t enough for Herbst, and Burton hung on to capture his first win in any of NASCAR’s three national series by .455 seconds at the checkers.

The hardest part of Burton’s day? That came after the race, when he successfully completed a smoky burnout, but couldn’t get to victory lane after his car stalled and had to wait on a track wrecker.

That was of no real concern, however. There was no wiping the smile off Burton’s face, especially after what he called “a fun battle” with Herbst down the home stretch.

“This DEX Imaging Supra was really fast when it counted,” Burton noted. “Once we moved up to the top at the end, I knew it was going to be really tough for him (Herbst) to pass us. I was just trying to be smart and not put it in the wall leading.

“Rick (Carelli, spotter) was huge all day long,” he added. “He did a great job on those crazy restarts, as well, with keeping me in the game and keeping me up to date with what was going on. I’m just so happy. Everyone’s worked so hard for this moment, and it’s finally here.

“Hell yeah, we won! It’s awesome.”

Though he wasn’t able to chase Burton down in the end, Herbst was still happy with a runner-up finish, and also offered plenty of kudos to the driver he was on-and-off teammates with at Kyle Busch Motorsports in recent years in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

“I just needed a few more laps, honestly,” Herbst said. “Our Monster Energy Supra was really fast. We just ran out of time at the end. I’m really, really proud of Harrison, though. He and I have been working so hard this offseason. We’ve read it all, how we’re not ready for this series and we can’t do this at this level, but I think we sent a message to everyone today.

“(All the haters can) keep on talking, because we’re coming for more number ones this year.”

Austin Cindric was within two car lengths of the top two on the final lap, but couldn’t catch the Toyota pair and settled for third in his Ford Mustang. The Chevrolet Camaros of Ryan Sieg and Justin Haley completed the top five.

Finishing sixth in his Xfinity Series debut was Anthony Alfredo, followed by Daniel Hemric, Ross Chastain, Jeremy Clements and Josh Williams.

The third JGR Toyota of Brandon Jones started from the pole, won both stages and led the first 74 laps uninterrupted, but once Jones was shuffled out of the top spot during a round of pit stops his car was never quite the same.

Jones faded back outside the top five and then sustained damage on a restart with 49 laps left that led to a cut right-front tire and a date with the outside wall. He ultimately finished 30th, four laps down.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series season continues March 7 at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway with the LS Tractor 200. Kyle Busch is the defending event winner and will make his first start of the year next weekend.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Tommy Fleetwood won something special on American soil nearly shooting 62 in the final round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock two years ago.

He won more than a giant measure of respect posting that record-tying 63.

He won the admiration of so many Americans there that day, even with his final 8-foot birdie chance skirting past the hole and leaving him with a runner-up finish.

The Englishman is feeling at home again in the United States this week, but this time he’s looking to win a trophy, his first in a PGA Tour event.

“I'm not going to lie and say I don't really mind about winning in America,” Fleetwood said. “Of course I do. I want to win everywhere I play, and the PGA Tour is, for sure, one of those places where I haven't done it yet.”

With birdies at the final two holes to close out a 3-under 67, Fleetwood seized the 54-hole lead at the PGA National Champion Course, a brutish test again this week. 

His 5-under total is the highest score in relation to par through three rounds of a non-major on the PGA Tour in almost four years. He’s one shot ahead of Brendan Steele (71) and two ahead of fellow Englishmen Lee Westwood (71) and Luke Donald (71).

“It would be a win at a great golf course, a tough golf course,” Fleetwood said. “I think if you're going to win around here, you're proving yourself as an all-around golfer.” 

Fleetwood proved himself formidable on the toughest of courses with his low round at Shinnecock. He relished the outpouring of support he got from American fans rooting for him to go low back then.

“Walking down the last at Shinnecock, when I had a chance for 62, was one of the finer moments of my career for sure, and I think the way the crowd reacted walking up 18 was something that was unbelievably special.”

Fleetwood, 29, has won five European Tour titles.

He was a Ryder Cup star in Paris two years ago, teaming with Francesco Molinari to go 4-0 in partnered play. He’s No. 12 in the world rankings and projected to go to No. 6 if he wins Sunday.

Fleetwood has taken a 54-hole lead into the final round of two European Tour events, closing out one of them, the Johnnie Walker Championship in 2013.

This marks the first time he’s carried the lead into the final round of a PGA Tour event.

He knows it won’t come without a fight, with the Champion Course yielding few birdies and a lot of big numbers.”

“Par is your friend out there,” Fleetwood said. “Doesn't matter what holes they are.

“No matter what's going on, on the leaderboard, you have to know that par is a very, very good score and just keep playing . . . Just tough out there, and happened to not make a double the last couple days.”

Twenty-two players are within five shots of the lead. That’s a logjam on a course where players can move up and down the board so quickly. In 2015, Ian Poulter hit five balls in the water in the final round and missed getting into a playoff by a single shot.

“I know tomorrow is going to be really hard,” said Steele, who will play in the final twosome with Fleetwood. “It's hard emotionally, physically, mentally. The conditions will be difficult. The course will be difficult. I'm looking forward to the challenge.”

So is Fleetwood as he bids to win over American fans yet again.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Harris English said it best way back in the first round.

“You’ve got to have your mouthpiece in out there,” he said.

It’s been that way all week at the Honda Classic.

It’s looking as if even the winner won’t get to the trophy Sunday without tasting blood in his mouth.

Tommy Fleetwood leads through 54 holes with a 5-under total. That’s the highest score in relation to par in a non-major on the PGA Tour in almost four years.

“You can't see anybody going out and shooting a really, really low one,” said Lee Westwood, who is two shots back. “It's kind of a grinding golf course. You've just got to hang around, not make too many mistakes and see if it's your day at the end of the day.”

Big numbers lurk with so much water on PGA National’s Champion Course.

The Bear Trap (holes 15-17) has lived up to its reputation.

A year ago, 39 balls found the water for the week at No. 15. There were 34 in the water in the first round alone this year. There have been 64 total in the water at No. 15 already this week. The record is 77, set in 2010.

“It’s a risk-reward golf course on steroids,” Westwood said.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – It’s been a special week for Luke Donald at the Honda Classic, even with the P.A. announcer introducing him on the first tee Saturday as Luke McDonald.

Yes, Donald is the 2006 Honda Classic champ, though he was also mistakenly introduced as the 2016 champ.

No matter, Donald, the 2011 PGA Tour Player of the Year and former world No. 1, is enjoying a resurgence at PGA National, with back woes finally behind him. He’s sitting just two shots off the lead going into Sunday’s finish.

A special week almost got even more special with Donald’s older brother, Christian, on the bag as caddie to Brendan Steele. Luke and Christian just missed getting put together in the same Sunday pairing, with Steele finishing a shot ahead of Luke.

Steele is in the final pairing with Tommy Fleetwood.

Luke was asked what it’s like “chasing” his brother.

“I’m chasing Brendan more than Chris,” Luke said. “I’d be happy for Chris if he won and had a good finish, of course.”

Christian and his family are staying with Luke and his family in Luke’s Jupiter home.

“It’s been an exciting week,” Christian said. “Luke’s had a tough couple of years with the back injury, so it’s nice to see him playing well. We pull for each other.”

Christian was Luke’s caddie for eight years at the start of Luke’s career. Christian joked that they split up because they were driving each other a little crazy.

“I worked with him, I traveled with him and I lived with him,” Christian said. “We nearly killed each other.”

Christian was laughing when he said this, but he said having separate golf careers is healthy for their relationship.

“It’s all good,” Christian said. “We’re really enjoying our families being together this week, and I’m really enjoying seeing him have a good week.

“One of Luke’s greatest attributes is that he’s really, really determined. I think he’s more relaxed than he used to be when we were younger, but he still really wants it.”

TUCSON, Ariz. – Brett Quigley shot a 5-under 68 on Saturday in the Cologuard Classic to open a three-stroke lead in his bid to win for the second time in his first four PGA Tour Champions starts.

"You just don't know in golf," Quigley said. "You just don't know what you have day to day, week to week. I had been playing some really nice golf the last couple three months and didn't know it would come this quickly."

Fred Couples was second after a 66. The 60-year-old Hall of Famer won the last of his 13 senior titles in 2017.

"I enjoy playing," Couples said. "If I can drive it like that, then an age is really irrelevant. It will become a struggle when I'm hitting it for some reason 30 yards shorter and all these holes I hit a driver and a 9-iron are now a driver and a 7-iron, I will not nearly be the player that I want to be, so I will be bye, bye."

The 50-year-old Quigley won a month ago in Morocco in his second Champions start and tied for ninth two weeks ago in Florida in the Chubb Classic. He made his senior debut in September in Calgary, Alberta, tying for 64th in the Shaw Charity Classic.

Couples referred to Quigley as "the kid."

"That's nice. Certainly I feel like a newbie again, definitely a neophyte out here," Quigley said. "It's against all the guys I grew up playing with and a lot of guys I grew up watching, so it's fun."

A stroke ahead entering the day after an opening 64, Quigley birdied three of the first five holes in the second round on Tucson National's Catalina Course. He finished with six birdies and a bogey to reach 14-under 132.

"To back up yesterday's round with a pretty good round today, 5 under," Quigley said. "A little off the back nine, but managed to shoot under par, so certainly happy overall."

The nephew of 11-time PGA Tour Champions winner Dana Quigley, he had five runner-up finishes in 408 starts on the PGA Tour, earning more than $11 million.

"I've got to keep trying to make birdies, that's the bottom line," Quigley said.

Couples birdied five of the first six holes. He played the back nine in 2 under with four birdies and two bogeys.

Miguel Angel Jimenez (66) and Rod Pampling (68) were 11 under. Bernhard Langer (68) and Robert Karlsson (71) followed at 10 under.

"My game is in good shape," Jimenez said. "The ball wants to go in."

Pampling is making his fifth senior start. The Australian eagled the par-5 12th.

"It's nice to be in the mix," Pampling said. "Someone's going to win tomorrow, so just got to go low, get it going low tomorrow and hopefully it will be me."

Steve Stricker, the 2018 winner for the first of his five senior victories, had 71 a tie fall into a tie for 10th at 8 under. Defending champion Mark O'Meara (69) and John Daly (71) also were 8 under.

Ernie Els was tied for 36th at 3 under after a 70 in his second senior start. He lost a playoff to Jimenez in January in his debut in the season-opening event in Hawaii.

Hall-of-Fame pitcher John Smoltz shot his second straight 74. He was tied for 65th in the 78-man field.

Maximiliano Urruti's goal in the 80th minute lifted new manager Thierry Henry and the Montreal Impact to a 2-1 victory over the visiting New England Revolution in Saturday's MLS season opener.

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Urruti's high-arcing shot from just outside the box found its way over New England keeper Matt Turner, who had come off his line in an attempt to cut off Urruti's path to the net.

The Impact, playing at Olympic Stadium, earned their first regular season win under Henry, and improved to 4-5-0 in season-opening games.

In rating his side's performance, former Arsenal and Barcelona great Henry used a well-known 1976 Olympic Games reference.

"This is not perfect yet, far from it," Henry said. "Not a lot of teams reach that. The only person I know that did that is Nadia Comaneci. Other than that, nobody gets a 10."

Henry was hired in the offseason at Montreal, his second opportunity as a manager following his disastrous tenure at AS Monaco in 2018-19. It is Henry's second stint in MLS after playing for New York Red Bulls from 2010-14.

Saturday's game was Henry's third competitive contest with the Canadian side. He remains undefeated after the Impact advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals on away goals following a pair of ties with Costa Rican power Saprissa.

New England is winless (0-5-2) over its last seven season openers.

Clement Diop made five saves for Montreal, and also received a big assist from his goalpost in the game's final moments. Tajon Buchanan had a wide-open look at the Impact's net in the 86th minute, but his header deflected off the post.

In the 13th minute, Cristian Penilla took a short pass off a corner and then crossed to an open Teal Bunbury on the right side of the box. Bunbury deposited a right-footed shot to give New England the early lead.

The goal was Bunbury's 35th in a Revolution uniform, tying him with Juan Agudelo for eighth place on New England's all-time scoring list.

Montreal equalized off a set piece of their own in the 37th minute, as Joel Waterman headed a corner to Romell Quioto for another header and the tying goal.

Between CONCACAF Champions League play and Saturday's regular season opener, Quioto has two goals in three games with the Impact. The striker was acquired from the Houston Dynamo in a trade last November.

"I keep on saying since I've been here that we have to fight, that's the minimum that we have to do," Henry said. "I think that what you saw from the beginning, and let's not get carried away, in [Champions League against] Saprissa we wanted to press high and we did and we scored."

Wilfried Zahibo seemingly restored New England's lead in the 73rd minute, but the goal was negated after a video review.

The Impact begin a four-game road swing on March 7 when they visit FC Dallas.

The Revolution play their next two games on their home field, beginning with the March 7 home opener against the Chicago Fire.

Reuters contributed to this report.