Probably the most important hire made by Matt Nagy this offseason was John DeFilippo. Some will argue that’s Juan Castillo for the offensive line, but the reality is play at quarterback will decide the fate of this team. DeFilippo comes in with a proven reputation for elevating quarterbacks. Carson Wentz and Kirk Cousins both had career years under his tutelage. Nick Foles, who joined the Chicago Bears in March, won the Super Bowl with his help.
People are anxious to see what he can do with Mitch Trubisky. It’s never been a question of talent with the 25-year old. It was can he play with the consistency required of that position. DeFilippo is well aware of the challenge ahead and is excited about it. When asked what he’ll be looking for from his two QBs, he explained.
“Passion, energy and swagger, baby; that’s what we’re defined as in our room. We have a passion for the game. We have a ton of energy. We’re the same people every day, and then we walk around with a little bit of swagger to ourselves in terms of we know that we’re the best quarterback room in the National Football League.”
Self-confidence is always a huge factor in successful quarterbacks. Talk to Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers for five minutes and it’s clearly evident. DeFilippo though has three distinct requirements that Trubisky will need to take that critical final step.
“I think there are three levels to it. There’s command of yourself, command of the offense and command of the team.”
John DeFilippo knows NFL quarterbacks require total commitment
When talking about command of “yourself,” the coach is referring to the quarterback having to embrace the lifestyle. There can be no distractions. A quarterback must eat, drink, and sleep football all the time. There can be no part-timing this job. Command of the “offense” is self-explanatory. Trubisky has to learn the system inside and out. He must know where every receiver should be lined up, every protection adjustment and every audible to make based on the situation. Defenses in the NFL offer few second chances.
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Then there is the third level. Command of the “team.” This part doesn’t seem to be the issue with Trubisky. His leadership has been clear pretty much since the day he arrived. Teammates defend him all the time and he’s known for being that guy who’s the first one in and the last man out. He’s not afraid to get vocal when he has to but is always there to offer his support. So one can say he has at least one level mastered.
It will come down to whether he can figure out those other two.
