NEWSLETTER
Matt Nagy wouldn’t be coaching the Chicago Bears if it wasn’t for Mitch Trubisky.
Even before he was a candidate for the job, Nagy was really digging Trubisky, and he’s since mentioned that the rookie quarterback was one of the main reason he picked the Bears job in the first place.
But perhaps there’s no better sign of Trubisky’s perception than Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio suggesting Trubisky’s presence at quarterback helped sway him toward returning to the Bears in 2018:
Fangio on how Trubisky factored into his decision to re-sign: "Mitchell is part of the equation. I think he has a chance to be a really good player."
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) January 18, 2018
Fangio had a chance to leave Chicago when he explored free agency, but ultimately decided to return because he felt comfortable with Nagy and the Bears’ direction. Surely, having Trubisky in the fold didn’t hurt matters one bit. Teaming his defensive prowess with an improved offensive game plan will only make the Bears defense look better … if those so-called good players improve gain under Fangio’s guidance.
On the other side of the ball, the Bears’ new offensive coordinator seemed to be persuaded by the opportunity to groom Trubisky into a top flight signal caller:
New #Bears OC Mark Helfrich on QB Mitch Trubisky: "The biggest thing that jumped out to me as I watched him on film is he’s coachable and you can tell a quarterback is coachable watching his feet and his eyes."
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) January 18, 2018
Mark Helfrich pointed to Mitchell Trubisky's accuracy and ability to take care of the football as traits he could recognize in the Bears quarterback.
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) January 18, 2018
Often, coaches want to bring in their own quarterback to run their system. But with Trubisky already having a year of pro experience under his belt under the most basic offensive system means the most significant first-year challenges are out of the way. Much of the developmental grunt work was carried out by Dowell Loggains and Dave Ragone before the Nagy-Helfrich regime stepped foot into Halas Hall. From here, that duo (along with Ragone) will focus on refining things. Helfrich has already pointed out Trubisky’s footwork as an issue that needs to be cleaned up and added he sees a lot of Marcus Mariota – a quarterback he coached at Oregon and was a No. 2 overall pick – in his new quarterback.
In Trubisky, the Bears have a talented player who wants to be coached. With Nagy and Helfrich, the Bears have quarterback gurus with a history of coaching up and getting the best from the most important player on the gridiron. The Bears didn’t ask Trubisky to do much in their offense as a rookie, but with proper coaching from apt teachers and an expanded playbook, 2018 could be the start of something special.
