Mitchell Trubisky: "I Kind of Felt Like I Had It Coming"
Mitchell Trubisky recalled his initial feelings when he heard Nick Foles had been acquired via trade by the Chicago Bears.
"It was kind of interesting to me but I mean that's the business that we're in," Trubisky said. "I think I was kind of pissed off in a good way.
"I've been motivated ever since."
In his first meeting with Chicago media since the final week of the regular NFL season, Trubisky detailed his thoughts Friday on what he's feeling about a competition with Foles and the team not picking up his fifth-year option.
He's using the past as a catapult for the future.
"It's good to be pissed off a little bit," Trubisky said. "It's good to have that motivation. I think everyone on our team should be, by the way we performed last year going 8-8 and coming short of the playoffs.
"We need to get back to the playoffs and we need to have a different mentality than we did last year because we let a lot of details slip and we didn’t play the way we’re capable of playing. We lost games we should’ve won."
The Bears decided not to pick up Trubisky's option in early May and let him know three days prior to the time it became public knowledge.
"So it wasn't really a big surprise to me because I kind of felt like I had it coming," Trubisky said. "I mean I put myself in their shoes. If I was looking at myself I feel like I would have to go out and earn that fifth option. And I feel like I the way I played last year didn't merit that."
Trubisky has focused any potential anger toward his goal of getting the team back to the playoffs.
"It wasn't a huge surprise," Trubisky said. "I think it was more fuel to the fire for me. It was just more motivation that I could have done more to get extended but the reality is that it wasn't. So it's not a big deal. That's not what motivates me.
"What motivates me now is coming back off of last year and getting this team back to the playoffs, having a better record than 8-8 and playing to the potential that I know that myself and the rest of my teammates can play at."
Last year Trubisky followed on a division title and a 95.4 passer rating by leading the team to a third-place finish in the NFC North and putting up a passer rating of 83.0. His yards per pass attempt plummeted to 6.1 from a solid 7.4 in 2018.
He blames some of it on situations out of their control.
"I think overall it had to do with health and then lack of details on offense," Trubisky said.
The Bears had key players injured at times. Tight end Trey Burton missed much of the season with injuries and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel suffered two concussions. Trubisky himself had a shoulder injury and had to miss one game and almost all of another.
"So I think if we work on those two things—obviously health comes down to a little bit of luck and having everybody's body right, ready to go for this season," Trubisky said. "And then, we just got to be more detailed. We've got to be more locked into our game plans week-in, week-out.
"Everybody's got to be on the same page and when we get to Sunday it's gotta all be about execution. I felt like we lacked details overall on offense, myself included, especially, if we're on top of those this year and we just hold each other accountable to the standard we know we're capable of, then we'll have a lot more success and win more games. We definitely have the talent."
Foles hasn't had much exposure to his new Bears teammates, but Trubisky couldn't find anything to dislike about the Super Bowl LII MVP.
"Nick is a really good dude," Trubisky said. "It's been all positive and healthy relationship. The first conversation we had, I think we both made it a point that it's important for us to be a part of a great quarterback room, that's what we want."
Without the normal on-field work during the offseason due to COVID-19, Trubisky has been organizing passing practices away from Halas Hall with some players including Allen Robinson II, Tarik Cohen, Demetrius Harris and others.
When they return to Halas Hall for training camp, a possibility exists some of the preseason games could be eliminated and this could only hurt Foles' bid to take the starting spot.
"I think because it's a small sample size I think advantage goes to me just because I've been the starter here the last two years," Trubisky said. "These are my guys, my teammates, guys I've built super strong relationships with the last two years."
The ultimate goal for Trubisky would be getting a new contract even without his fifth-year option involved.
"But for me, my plan is just to go out there and earn my next contract, wherever that is," Trubisky said. "I want it to be here in Chicago. I'm going to play my heart and soul out for this team and give it everything I've got.
"So I'm just excited to get back on the field with my teammates and get back to work."
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
