Mitch Trubisky is making his last stand in 2020. It’s amazing to think that in January of 2019 he appeared on the cusp of stardom. He’d made the Pro Bowl as an alternate, led his team to the playoffs, and became the first Chicago Bears QB ever to throw for 300 yards in a postseason game. It truly felt like that next season was his year. Then he came out of the gates flat, got hurt and struggled the rest of the way.
Inevitably that led his critics to thump their chests and say they were right all along. He doesn’t have what it takes to master the intracies of the NFL. However, Trubisky still has his supporters. Many have cited the fact he turned pro too soon. He only had one year of starting experience at North Carolina. So he was raw when the Bears took him #2 overall. Logically that means his development was always going to take longer than normal.
One comparison they love to use is Drew Brees. The future Hall of Famer didn’t get off to the best start in his career. His first three seasons were quite forgettable. Then in his fourth he finally broke through, making his first Pro Bowl and going to the playoffs. It sounds crazy, but there is one interesting subplot of that connection that is worth mentioning.
Mitch Trubisky is learning the same lesson Brees did
People so often forget that it wasn’t just patience and hard work that led Brees to his breakout season. Something happened in 2004 that gave him plenty of incentive. The San Diego Chargers pulled off a draft-day trade for Philip Rivers. Suddenly Brees had a 1st round pick breathing down his neck. Through his first three years, the QB went 10-17, completed just 59% of his passes for 29 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. When Rivers arrived that season, he went 11-4 with 65% passes completed and 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.
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Make no mistake. The threat of losing his job no doubt had influence on Brees that year. It scared him and he worked harder than ever before. The results spoke for themselves.
Now here’s Trubisky. Coming off a disappointing third year just like Brees did. Suddenly Nick Foles arrives in town. He might be an even greater threat than Rivers was because he had deeper connections to the coaching staff and a ring on his finger. The honeymoon is over. Either he delivers this year, or Trubisky could spend the rest of his NFL career as a journeyman backup.
Based on how hard he’s working this offseason, it’s clear the message has been received.