Getty Justin Fields got some advice from former Bears QB Mitch Trubisky.
Mitch Trubisky returned to Soldier Field on August 21 to face his former team, the Chicago Bears, and while he emerged victorious, leading the Buffalo Bills to a 41-15 win, it was clear before, during and after the game that a changing of the guard had taken place.
It’s not just Soldier Field anymore. It’s Soldier Fields, as it was almost immediately dubbed after the Bears moved up in the NFL draft to select quarterback Justin Fields with the 11th pick in April. Fields was the first QB taken by the team since general manager Ryan Pace selected Trubisky second overall in 2017, and the hype surrounding him is unlike anything Chicago has seen in recent memory.
When Fields met Trubisky in the middle of the field prior to the game to shake hands, it was a semi-viral moment:
After the game, the former Bears QB revealed what advice he gave Chicago’s future starter when the two met midfield.
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Trubisky to Fields: Hard Work is Key
The new Bills backup revealed that he had actually met Fields once before their preseason matchup, and he shared what advice he gave Fields during their conversation.
“It was good,” Trubisky said, when asked about his meeting with Fields, via Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. “We actually met when he was coming out of high school and he visited North Carolina, so we just caught up on the field. Just my advice to him — and really to anybody — is to work hard and treat people right and good things will happen. He’s a talented kid. He’s gonna do well.”
The former Bears quarterback finished the game going 20 of 28 for 220 yards and a touchdown, and he also discussed how it felt to perform so well against his former team.
“I just wanted to play well,” Trubisky added. “I knew people would be talking about it and hyping it up, but it was just important for me to come out here and do my job and show my teammates that I could play ball.”
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Bears HC Matt Nagy Wishes Trubisky Well
In addition to receiving a generally warm welcome in his return by fans, Bears players and coaches spoke highly of Trubisky after the game. Perhaps some fans heeded the warning of Bears running back Tarik Cohen, who tweeted leading up to the game that anyone choosing to boo his former QB were “lame weirdos”:
If you boo Mitch tomorrow you a lame and a weirdo
Trubisky’s former coach was also complimentary. “I thought he looked really good,” Bears head coach Matt Nagy said after the game. “He was playing very efficient, making good throws. Again, you know, for us, the personal side of that, it’s always — you spend three years with somebody, and you try to help and do everything you can and he does the same. He’s on a new path and we’re on a new path, and I think he did a good job today. They did a good job coaching. So it’s a credit to them.”
“I just continue to look forward,” Trubisky added. “Like anything, it’s life, there are ups and downs and you learn a lot along the way. I’m grateful for my journey and where I’m at now. I’m just going to continue to learn and grow.”
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