Getty Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy with QB Mitchell Trubisky
Does Mitch Trubisky have the edge? After announcing the Chicago Bears were going to have a quarterback competition between Trubisky and recent veteran acquisition Nick Foles, opinions have been divided regarding who will emerge as the team’s starter. Several former Bears players think Foles, who has worked with Nagy in 2012 with the Eagles, and again in 2016 with Kansas City, already has the edge, and most members of the media agree.
Nagy spoke to co-hosts Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer and Jim Miller about the team’s current communication processes throughout the coronavirus crisis, and he also discussed his recent focus on fixing his offensive scheme. He also answered some questions about his quarterbacks, and based on his Thursday night conversation on the Bears All-Access radio show on WSCR 670 AM, the Bears’ coach seems to be focused on Trubisky being the one to lead the team.
Matt Nagy on Mitch Trubisky: ‘We Know What He Can Do’
Nagy stressed that the team’s quarterback competition will have complete transparency. “You’re gonna see how open and transparent we are in this thing. There’s no agendas … it’ll be healthy, and will make the Chicago Bears better,” he noted.
He also said he wanted what was best for everyone involved. “We’re trying to make this the best situation possible for Mitch and for Nick,” he said.
When he was asked whether he felt Trubisky would respond to competition from Foles with a certain fire, Nagy was swift in his reply. “Absolutely,” he replied. He then discussed games against the Lions and Cowboys last season in which Trubisky bounced back from adversity.
“I can specifically remember Mitch going off to the sideline and it was just one of those dust-it-off-my-shoulder type deals and ‘I’m going to come back here and gash ’em,’ and that’s exactly what he ended up doing,” Nagy said. “It was beautiful. It was really neat. You could feel it. You could feel the energy with the crowd. You could feel the energy with our team … Those are the happy memories that we have. Those are what we know he can do, and I know he’s really excited to go out there and give it everything he has and compete with Nick.”
Matt Nagy: Trubisky is Mentally Tough
Co-host and former Bears quarterback Jim Miller then asked Nagy whether Trubisky had a “mental Teflon,” layer that would allow him to block out all criticism, and once again, Nagy answered in the affirmative. “For sure. That’s a trait to me Jim, as you know playing quarterback all your life, that you have to have … Especially in a city like we have here in Chicago where everybody’s so hungry to win and win a Super Bowl, there comes more pressure.”
Nagy seems to know that Trubisky playing well and finally having a breakout year is likely what’s best for this Bears franchise. Another bad year from their former second overall pick means the team will have to start from scratch again soon, and even if Nick Foles plays well, he’s 31, less mobile and has a much lengthier injury history. If Trubisky can play well and be a bit smarter, the Bears can be right back to 2018 form, and Nagy seems to know it.
“I know Mitch is really focused on trying to do everything he can to control the things that he can control. And if he does that, we’ll be more than fine,” Nagy said, before adding, after barely mentioning Foles at all: “And it’s the same with Nick.”
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