Getty CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 13: Mitchell Trubisky #10 of the Chicago Bears runs for yards during a game against the Houston Texans at Soldier Field on December 13, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Texans 36-7. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
It has been a rough, rollercoaster of a ride for the Chicago Bears and their fans this season. From head coach Matt Nagy benching Mitch Trubisky to the team’s 5-1 start, followed by a six-game losing streak and multiple humbling and embarrassing losses, the Bears and their fans have seen it all this year.
Now, after the team’s most complete victory of the season, a 36-7 beat down of the Texans, the coaster is back on the rise, and so is the quarterback play. Trubisky has 776 yards, seven touchdowns and two picks in his last three games, and the Bears offense has looked decidedly better with him under center.
After benching Trubisky Week 3, Nagy is now showering the fourth-year quarterback with compliments, praise and favorable comparisons. While Nagy has never been insulting or disrespectful when speaking about his quarterback, his tune has noticeably changed. Perhaps it’s Nagy’s understanding that Trubisky’s performance is directly tied to his job security, or maybe it stems from genuine admiration — whatever the reason, Nagy has been high on the young quarterback of late, even comparing him to a quarterback he knows well: Alex Smith.
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Nagy Compares Trubisky’s Struggles to Those of Alex Smith
Smith, who was taken first overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, struggled out of the gate his first several seasons in the league, which Nagy thinks is similar to what Trubisky may be experiencing. When asked what he was seeing from Mitch lately that he liked, Nagy threw Smith’s name out there.
“No. 1, the resiliency that he has,” Nagy said. “Alex (Smith) went through a hell of a stretch at the beginning, start of his career. And you all know where he’s at and what he’s done and what he did in Kansas City. His whole time there, he won a lot of games. But he went through a lot of rough patches during that time,” the Bears coach said, adding:
“Every player in this league has their own story and we don’t know where Mitch’s story is gonna end up, but all’s we can do right now is focus on where he’s at right now at this moment and when you talk about a kid who has been through a lot — putting it out there, he’s been through a lot in three years, four years — for him to be able to get where he’s at right now the way he’s doing it, that’s a credit to him. You can’t take that away from him. What he’s trying to do right now is be the greatest quarterback he can be for the Chicago Bears, be the greatest leader he can be for the Chicago Bears, be the greatest teammate he can be for the Chicago Bears.”
It wasn’t the first time Nagy mentioned Smith in relation to Trubisky, either.
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Could Mitch Trubisky Be the Next Alex Smith?
Excluding the horrific injury endured and overcome by Smith, there are some interesting similarities between the two quarterbacks, a few of which Nagy outlined last May in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
“What I would say with Alex, here’s a No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, he’s being compared to Aaron Rodgers his whole career. Same thing, it’s never gonna leave Mitchell, being compared to Patrick [Mahomes] and Deshaun [Watson]. That’s just the way it is, that’s never gonna change, there’s nothing that any of us can do to control that. But what we can control is how we play football, and what we do. We can’t worry about anything else,” Nagy said, adding:
“We always talk about persistence over resistance. Be persistent, stick to it, stay mentally tough, and that’s where Mitch is at right now. We know he’ll step up to the challenge.”
Persistence over resistance is something Nagy has been preaching all season, and with three games remaining — all of which they need to win — the Bears will need to do more than just persist.
The thing about Smith, though? He achieved his greatest success after he left the team that drafted him and played under a new coach and coordinators. If a breakthrough happens for Trubisky, it may have to happen that way, as well.
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