Mitch Trubisky had to know coming into this month that he couldn’t afford to repeat what happened last season. Anybody with a good memory will recall that there were warning signs in Chicago Bears training camp last year that something was wrong with the young QB. The defense was picking him off at an alarming rate and he continued to show erratic throws and decision-making.
That ended up carrying into the regular season. After a summer full of extra work, it was no doubt hoped he might show a little more precision and polish this year. Especially with added incentive in the form competition. According to Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago, the first day didn’t exactly go as hoped.
Trubisky wasn’t terrible, but he again showed the same issues that dogged him last year.
As head coach Matt Nagy noted in the offseason, Trubisky got the first snaps in each period, but both quarterbacks worked with the first-team offense. Trubisky wasn’t exactly sharp early, but he was hurt by a drop on a nice deep ball in 7-on-7s. He followed that up with a bad decision on a forced pass over the middle that was well covered and should have been picked off by safety Deon Bush.
“We saw those (drops) too,” Nagy said. “And again, we try not to rush or get too crazy over any dropped passes right now, whether it’s on the offensive side or the defensive side with the dropped interception. We really look right now for the decision making.”
Mitch Trubisky still has time but he’s off to a poor start
A pass that should’ve been picked off because of a poor decision over the middle? That is pretty much a Trubisky Special. His calling card of sorts. Seeing coverages over the middle is his kryptonite and the fact he already made such a familiar mistake in the first padded practice? That can’t be a good thing. It also didn’t help that Nick Foles made no such egregious mistakes.
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Now this competition is only getting started. There is still time left for Trubisky to find a groove. Still, there are only 13 padded practices left. Those will go by much faster than anybody thinks. Every mistake he makes is magnified in these practices because of no preseason. It may have only been one mistake, but it’s still a black mark against him.
One he can’t afford.