Getty Head coach Matt Nagy and QB Mitch Trubisky of the Chicago Bears
Perhaps it’s because he knows his time is likely running out in Chicago, or perhaps the team’s five-game skid has him feeling more blunt and candid, but when he spoke to the media Wednesday, Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky got blunt when he was asked about his relationship with head coach Matt Nagy.
Trubisky, who usually speaks in nothing but glowing terms when talking about his coach, revealed that things changed when Nagy chose to bench him in favor of Nick Foles Week 3. With Foles hurt, Trubisky took over again Week 12, losing to the Green Bay Packers, and he’ll get the nod again Week 13 against the Detroit Lions. When he was asked how his relationship with Nagy has changed from Week 3 to now, the fourth-year quarterback got honest about it.
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Mitch Trubisky on Matt Nagy: ‘I Gave Him Space’
“It’s been up and down just like the season really,” Trubisky said about his relationship with Nagy. “When I was benched, I gave him a little more space so he could have that time to talk with Nick and now that I’m back in it, we’re communicating a lot more. Now that Coach Lazor is calling the plays, I am communicating a lot with him but also staying on the same page with Coach Nagy.”
Things certainly aren’t bad between them, and Trubisky spoke respectfully about his coach, suggesting that his role as one of the team’s quarterbacks requires him to be diplomatic about things.
“Just being a leader on this team and also being a quarterback it’s important just to have that open communication with the coaches and just to keep everyone together, especially since we’re going through a tough time in the season right now. The focus for us is being 1-0, keeping this team together, leaders stepping up and leading, doing it with action. It starts on the practice field today and just enjoying playing football and making sure we’re all doing our jobs. That communication is definitely at the forefront. Just being open, honest and make sure we’re always putting the team first.”
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Trubisky on Nagy Calling Team Out: ‘I Think We Received it Well’
When he spoke with the media via Zoom Monday, Nagy called out his entire team and coaching staff, asking his players to take more personal pride in their work, calling their performance in the loss to the Packers “freakin’ embarrassing.” None of what Nagy said bothered Trubisky, however. Here’s what he said about Nagy’s comments:
“I think we received it very well. It’s good that Coach says that, but at the same time, as a player, it kind of goes without saying that that should be the mindset going into this week. Bottom-line … if you’re not coming in here with a chip on your shoulder, something is wrong and we gotta check you. We’re continuing to do that throughout the locker room, making sure everyone’s locked in. And if you have a sense of pride and you’re a competitor, if you want to go out there and win, which I know guys on this team do, then it’s not even an issue. So we go out to practice, get back to work. We’re getting better and trying to improve. And that’s the main goal, to go 1-0.”
You can watch Trubisky’s full interview with the media below:
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