Getty Chicago Bears QB Mitch Trubisky (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
It was a scene that had everyone confused, from fans watching at home, to commentators Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels announcing in the booth. On Sunday Night Football, Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy pulled starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with less than four minutes remaining in the game.
It was announced a bit after Trubisky was pulled that he was removed due to a hip injury, but initially, it had looked like he was benched. Trubisky wasn’t hobbled, he was standing on the sideline, and he didn’t head to the locker room or visit the medical tent. Cris Collinsworth opined that backup Chase Daniel’s entry into the game could signal a “changing of the guard” in Chicago. Thus, a debate about whether Trubisky was really injured–or whether Nagy pulled him partially because of performance
On their weekly post game show, former Chicago Bears players Lance Briggs, Alex Brown, Matt Forte and Olin Kreutz discussed the incident, and they have been disagreeing about it ever since.
Former Bears Players Have Different Views of Trubisky’s Injury
On the Under Center podcast, the group discussed Trubisky, and when co-host Laurence Holmes asked the group if this was a benching, or a “mercy benching” due to an injury, a skeptical-sounding Lance Briggs said: “That’s what they say,” referring to the hip injury. “The game was still winnable … Tough through it,” Briggs said, suggesting that had Trubisky been performing well, this was an injury he could play through. Former Bears defensive star Alex Brown didn’t believe Trubisky was legitimately injured, however.
“Stop telling me that this quarterback is the quarterback of the future.”
@alexbrown96, per usual, holding nothing back.
“You don’t stand on the sideline if your hip’s hurt…I don’t think he would have been on his feet the rest of the game … he was standing on the sideline, walking around. If your hip’s hurt, son, go sit down,” Brown said. Neither Forte nor Kreutz doubted that Trubisky was hurt, but they were confused as to why Matt Nagy didn’t seem to know exactly when the injury occurred in the game. They also wondered why Nagy would call an option that would require his injured quarterback to both run with the ball and then toss it with his bad arm.
Their initial discussion about Trubisky’s injury continued on after the podcast.
Alex Brown: ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ Waiting For An Apology
Olin Kreutz tweeted out in support of Mitchell Trubisky on Tuesday, saying: “Mitch’s hip was hurt. He was battling through it. #respect.”
Mitchs hip was hurt. he was battling through it #respect 🤙
Alex Brown responded to Kreutz by including a video of Trubisky running and “throwing a dart” six plays later:
@olin_kreutz 6 plays later (same drive)… he’s all healed and rolling out throwing a #Dart 🤔🤔
Brown later responded to someone on Twitter who referenced Brown apologizing to Trubisky for doubting his injury, and Brown responded: “Please do me a favor and don’t hold your breath waiting on that apology.”
@EntitledCubsFan @olin_kreutz Please do me a favor and don’t hold your breath waiting on that apology 🤷🏿♂️ 💯
Former Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett said on the Bears Verified podcast that he didn’t necessarily believe the injury either, and he said that he felt Trubisky really couldn’t play, the team would have gotten him a cart or helped him off the field.
Trubisky also said Wednesday that his injury felt “night and day”.
Bears QB Mitch Trubisky (right hip): “I feel good. (I feel) a lot better. Night and day, almost.”
Trubisky was a full participant in practice Wednesday, and his outlook looks good for Sunday’s game at Soldier Field against the Giants.
Mitch Trubisky was a FULL participant in Wednesday’s practice. Barring a setback, he is in line to start Sunday.
READ NEXT: Chicago Bears Sign TE to Replace Trey Burton