DeFilippo Sees Chance for Mitchell Trubisky to Improve
New Bears quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo doesn't view Mitchell Trubisky as some sort of rehab project.
Speaking on the team's Chicago Bears All-Access program, DeFilippo told Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer Trubisky can be molded after three seasons. As part of coach Matt Nagy's staff with new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and passing game coordinator Dave Ragone, DeFilippo said he's excited about this challenge.
"Obviously Mitchell's not a rookie or a second-year guy, but at the same time he's still kind of a fresh player in the NFL who's impressionable, and you can shape him in certain things you want him to do," DeFilippo said.
DeFilippo comes to the Bears after a year as offensive coordinator in Jacksonville working with Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew, and coached Carson Wentz and Foles in Philadelphia, as well as Kirk Cousins with the Vikings. Trubisky is 25, so he's obviously not someone who has problems ingrained.
"I've had a lot of experience with a lot of young players, that's just kind of been the situations I've been thrown into," DeFilippo said. "I think that's a good thing. I think that helps you learn how to teach a bunch of young guys."
And the young guys have usually caught on quickly. Derek Carr was one in Oakland.
"So I think a lot of the young guys that I've had have had success, whether it be Derek Carr, Carson Wentz, Gardner Minshew (who) was a seven-time rookie of the week this year," DeFilippo said. "I think it's going to help our team and I'm really looking forward to helping coach Nagy and coach Lazor in doing what they want to do."
DeFilippo's take on quarterbacks from an NFL coaching career that started in Oakland in 2002 is a simple one.
"The great ones want to be great and they want to learn," he said.
As for the new coaching staff DeFilippo is a part of, he said it reminds him of another stop he recently had.
"This staff reminds me, very similar to our 2017 staff in Philadelphia, where you had a lot of very experienced guys that had no ego," DeFilippo said.
The Eagles, of course, won the Super Bowl in 2017, DeFilippo's second year on that staff.
The Bears will not begin working with coaches until April, when their conditioning program starts up. Trubisky should be able to participate even after a minor non-throwing shoulder surgery he had after the season.
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