Matt Nagy isn’t a fool. He knows his young quarterback Mitch Trubisky isn’t playing well. Or at least not well enough by usual NFL standards. The kid has been kind of meh. He has no touchdown passes, an interception, and less than 400 yards passing in two games. Trubisky was atrocious in the opener against Green Bay but seemed to execute the limited game plan in Denver well, making the critical 25-yard throw to set up Eddy Pineiro’s game-winning field goal.
It’s been enough to get the Chicago Bears to 1-1. However, everybody knows this won’t cut it. Not if this team wishes to follow through on their Super Bowl aspirations. The defense is elite per usual. Offensively they have weapons and a sturdy offensive line. Trubisky is the key. If they’re going after that Lombardi Trophy, he has to start playing better. Nagy isn’t perturbed by the panic outside the building.
He understands better than anybody how difficult it is for a young QB to get going during a season. While this is the second year of digesting the offense for Trubisky, it doesn’t necessarily mean the big numbers are going to come. Nagy stated it takes three years. There are bound to be hiccups. In fact, during a recent press conference, he referenced another quarterback who went through similar unexpected growing pains.
Matt Nagy won’t abandon Trubisky unless he quits
In case people weren’t clued in on the quarterback he was referencing, it’s Drew Brees. After his tremendous debut season for the New Orleans Saints in 2006, he entered 2007 with sky-high expectations. Then watched them crash to earth with just one touchdown pass and nine interceptions through the first four games. All of them losses. It was not a pretty sight. Thankfully he settled himself after that, throwing 27 touchdowns to nine interceptions over the final 12 games.
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Brees was 28-years old that season. Mitch just turned 25. So it’s a fair argument on Nagy’s part. The team isn’t in any way out of the race. They’re .500 with three winnable games ahead of them leading into the bye week. Having one of the best defenses in the league enables them to work through their offensive issues without pressing Trubisky too hard. They have time to narrow them down and sort them out.
That’s certainly the hope. Trubisky hasn’t quite been as explosive since returning from his shoulder injury last year. He has just five total touchdown passes over the previous seven games. Hopes are high that this week could be the first step in getting him back on track.
