NEWSLETTER
Next stop for the Mitch Trubisky hype train will be Green Bay, where the Chicago Bears will kick off their regular season in style on Sunday Night Football. And with most (if not all) of the starters preparing to take a second straight preseason game off, Trubisky and the Bears are left preparing for the regular season.
“We’re starting to get really specific just looking at the Packers and getting ready for Week 1,” Trubisky said while meeting the media on Tuesday afternoon. “You start to see a lot more detail and game-specific planning based on what they’re doing and what we can do as an offense. It allows us to play faster as an offense and allows me to operate faster as a quarterback. The more specific we get, it will be better for this offense.”
Chicago’s QB1 touched upon a variety of things on Tuesday. Here are some things that stood out, as well as additional insight and commentary.
Trubisky Wanted to Play on Saturday, But…
Some players were vocal in having Matt Nagy’s back after the first-year head coach decided to sit his starters during their much-ballyhooed Preseason Week 3 exhibition against the Kansas City Chiefs. But Trubisky was very much on the other side of the fence when asked about the decision. And while Trubisky expressed a desire to play on Saturday, he still found a way to stand up for his head coach.
“I think the main thing for me was that it was coach’s decision and he was going to do what was best for the team. So I just commend him for sticking with that, especially with all the opinions on the outside. You know you’re going to get backlash and everybody writing about it, but he still did what’s best for this team and I truly believe in that. For me, just being a competitor, I was always ready to play. I wanted to play and get those reps. But we’ve gotten a ton of reps in practice and we’re just going to continue to get ready for Week 1.”
Are Trubisky and Nagy Clashing?
Oh, no! A crack in the facade! Alright, well, not really. Trubisky and Nagy are still on the same page entering Week 1 of the regular season, which is good because the two need to be locked in if the Bears are going to pull off a surprise and knock off the Packers. Trubisky explained that he and his head coach are operating on the same wavelength when it comes to installing plays in this new offense.
“We think very, very similarly, so that helps. We’re both similar in the fact that we both want to stretch the ball down the field, get the ball to our playmakers, and just let this offense be efficient. We haven’t had any clashing, it’s way more collaborative and cooperative.”
On Being a Perfectionist
One of the most encouraging signs since Trubisky’s arrival was the evidence of his work ethic. I’ll simply never shake the vision of Trubisky working with reserve linemen on handling the center-quarterback snap exchange after training camp practices last year and throwing to receivers on the back end of the roster just to get some extra work in. It’s that kind of stuff that endears a rookie to veteran teammates and makes a positive impression on coaches. As it turns out, Trubisky fancies himself as a perfectionist and it’s something he continues to strive for to this day.
“Nothing’s ever good enough. In my eyes, it can always be better. I think having that mentality every day, just come to work and try to make it as perfect as possible, but knowing it never will be just allows me to get better every single day, grow, and develop.”
That’s way too deep for a preseason thought.
Set No Limits
Trubisky continued on a path of pseudo deep thoughts when discussing the pros and cons of being realistic. No, seriously.
“Sometimes you’ve gotta be realistic. But at the same time, when I’m looking at things it doesn’t make sense to be realistic because then you’re putting a limit on things you don’t want to put a limit on. If you don’t put a limit on things, there’s no telling what you can accomplish when you really just dream big and work hard. You never know what you can stumble upon.”
Watching and Learning From Chase Daniel
If there is one thing Trubisky is familiar with, it’s learning from the sidelines. He did it at North Carolina before he took over as the Tar Heels’ starting quarterback. And then he did it as a rookie sitting behind Mike Glennon and Mark Sanchez. There is something to be said about a player who can soak in knowledge from the sidelines and then apply it when it is his time to take action. So naturally, it’s encouraging to hear Trubisky say that’s what was happening as he watched his backup make the most of his opportunity as QB1.
“From the sidelines, I was seeing everything that he was seeing. I was like, ‘Oh, the ball is going to go right here.’ And then it’s just pitch-and-catch from there when everyone else is doing their job.”
You can watch more Trubisky here:
