Mitch Trubisky is venturing into dangerous territory. There are very few quarterbacks drafted in the top 5 who struggled most of their first three years who went on to be successful. The 25-year old is clinging to his job by his fingernails. Most experts believe he’s a lost cause. The Chicago Bears brought in Nick Foles, Super Bowl ring shining on his finger, as competition. One can only imagine the pressure he’s feeling. Head coach Matt Nagy understands. It’s not an enviable spot to be in. Still, he hasn’t lost his belief that Trubisky can still pull through. Why? He’s seen it been done. Albert Breer of The MMQB asked him if he sees any similarities to Alex Smith.

Nagy, of course, coached Smith from 2013 to 2017 with the Kansas City Chiefs. He got to know the quarterback well, including his story as a “bust” #1 overall pick who rose from the dead in 2011 and eventually became a four-time Pro Bowler in Kansas City.

Nagy believes Trubisky can reach those heights too. It will just take some mental toughness.

“What I would say with Alex, here’s a No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, he’s being compared to Aaron Rodgers his whole career. Same thing, it’s never gonna leave Mitchell, being compared to Patrick [Mahomes] and Deshaun [Watson],”

Alex, what I think is so special about Alex, he has a mental toughness to him, where he got through all of that, even past the point Mitchell’s in right now, after he went through a bunch of different coordinators. I was in the stands in San Francisco, with the Eagles, when he was getting booed off the field. But I’ve also seen him completely overcome that, come to Kansas City, and absolutely dominate in the win column….

…So it took time, but he was persistent. We always talk about persistence over resistance. Be persistent, stick to it, stay mentally tough, and that’s where Mitch is at right now. We know he’ll step up to the challenge.”

Mitch Trubisky every bit of focus to be Alex Smith

This is something that Trubisky isn’t used to. He’s always used to being the guy. It’s been that way since high school. Work hard, practice hard, play hard and that leads to success, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy in the NFL. Almost everybody works hard, practices hard, and plays hard at this level. So it takes a ridiculous amount of mental fortitude to gain an edge. To be a good quarterback, one has to out-think the opposition.

Trubisky, for all his natural talent, simply hasn’t mastered that side of his position. He isn’t the first and won’t be the last. What Nagy is saying though is this doesn’t mean he’ll never do it. Smith eventually did. It just took some growing pains to get there. Along with lots and lots of stubbornness. Is Trubisky made of the same stuff? Bears fans are about to find out.