Mitchell Trubisky Living in the Do-or-Die Moment
Mitchell Trubisky subscribes to the theory of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
If this is the case, the Green Bay Packers defense could be in for more than they expect Sunday when they come to Soldier Field in a rematch against a Chicago Bears team they trounced 41-25 earlier.
"I think everything I've experienced this season has just made me stronger and a better person and player," Trubisky said Wednesday. "Just what I've had to deal with and everything we've had to overcome as a team, to just see where we're at now I think it gives you confidence going into it, and you now realize that all the distractions and everything you have to deal with throughout the season and sense of pride in offense coming together."
Since Trubisky's return, the Bears have pulled themselves up from 31st on offense to 25th heading into a game they may need to win to make the playoffs. They also can get in Sunday if the injury-plagued Los Angeles Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals.
Through Trubisky's benching in Week 3, the offseason decision to decline his contract option for next year and constant criticism, he has arrived at a point where he can get the Bears back where they were at the end of 2018—in a postseason game.
"It means a lot. It means a lot," Trubisky said. "This is what we worked for, and no matter what happened throughout the course of this year, we always know there are going to be ups and downs, some very high and some very low, which we've experienced this season, and I've been there myself personally.
"But just to know that you can come out of that and there's always going to be brighter days, you've just got to keep working and stay in the moment and that's what we're trying to do this week. We have a great opportunity in front of us, so our job is to just stay in the moment and we've got to take advantage of today and then the days coming forward and then we give ourselves a great chance on Sunday."
While Trubisky says he drew strength from his teammates as they progressed through a turnaround, he apparently did the same for them.
"I think he's handled it extremely well," wide receiver Allen Robinson said. "I even think for him as a player—I know from my own personal experience—when you go through things like that and you look back at it you get a lot more out of yourself.
"You look a little bit, not differently about yourself, but how you handle adversity through a season I think helps you in the future. I think he'll look back at it and say it made him a better player in some form or fashion."
Trubisky's resilience has been an example for teammates, coach Matt Nagy said.
"For him to be able to persevere through that is certainly not easy but I think what it's done, he's been able to show his teammates that he's a team-first guy," Nagy said. "He didn’t complain when we went with Nick. All's he did was stay locked in and he was a great teammate on the sideline for Nick.
"He gets his opportunity, and we lose a big game on national TV to a big-time rival, you know, and so that’s hard. You come back, you’re ready to go, you have a great week and now you respond from that and you start playing the way that you're playing and I just think it's a really, really good story for him and he deserves a ton of credit."
The question is whether Trubisky will be leading going beyond Sunday's game, if it's a loss and the Rams also lose. Like Robinson, he doesn't have a contract in 2021.
No one could blame him for having this on his mind when he comes onto the field to play Sunday's game.
"I won't be thinking about that, no," Trubisky said. "I'll be locked in and ready to go for the game. I'm excited about that opportunity."
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
