Friendlies Extend Supporting Hand to Mitchell Trubisky
It seems Mitchell Trubisky is garnering support from expected and unexpected places following the Bears' rejection of his fifth-year option.
Left tackle Charles Leno has weighed in on Mitchell Trubisky's plight, although it's the type of support you'd expect from one of his offensive linemen.
Leno said on the Gottem Podcast that his quarterback's reaction to the slight from having his fifth-year option declined is the key.
"Honestly, it's how he takes it, right?" Leno said. "You could look at it like this, some pure motivation if I'm in Mitch's shoes right now.
"You bring in a guy (Nick Foles) and decline my fifth-year option. I can take that and be butt hurt and put my tail between my legs. Or you can compete and get into a positive."
Obviously Leno doesn't think Trubisky will be pouting, and just needs to think about his contract status as a plus.
"Now I got one year closer to getting a contract—that's the outlook I think of," Leno said. "You do what you have to do and take care of what you have to take care of, control the things that you can control. Shoot, he's looking at a hefty paycheck."
Of course it is always easier to look at someone else's plight and fire off advice. When you're the one slighted it's a bit different.
Still, Trubisky isn't alone, and misery does love company.
Four of the five top players in the 2017 draft had their options declined.
Cleveland's Miles Garrett was the only one of the top five to have it picked up. The others declined were Titans receiver Corey Davis, 49ers defensive tackle Solomon Thomas and Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette.
Fan opinion over social media has been decidedly against Trubisky in his upcoming battle against Foles. Although he has been riding the elevator downward in the public's eyes, Trubisky at least has the support of longtime Bears follower and ESPN analyst Michael Wilbon.
Wilbon said he feels sorry for Trubisky because he isn't receiving the support he deserves from coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace after the fifth-year option was rejected.
"I feel bad for Mitch Trubisky. He has a coach that doesn’t want to coach him," Wilbon said. "Trubisky is being taken down by a coach and GM who won’t back him."
Wilbon's general assessment of the trade up to get Trubisky was it never should have happened, but he's taking Trubisky's side in his treatment by the Bears, adding, "...it's just wrong to treat Trubisky this way. ... If they coach him hard and he isn't up to it, let him go."
Considering the way Pace and Nagy have more or less backed Trubisky through every risky, silly pass he threw over the course of the last two years, Wilbon's support sounds a little like someone not fully in touch with the situation.
It's all stoking the fire that's building up for when the NFL finally does begin training camps.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
