Mitchell Trubisky warns critics not to underestimate him

Mitchell Trubisky is eyeing a comeback season.

The Chicago Bears appear to be paving a path that leads to Mitch Trubisky’s eventual dismissal from the Windy City, as the addition of Nick Foles via trade shows that Matt Nagy wasn’t thrilled with the precipitous drop-off in quality that Trubisky had in 2020.

The former No. 2 overall pick himself doesn’t seem to think that his career as a starter in Chicago is dead and buried, as he believes a procedure on his shoulder in the offseason and revamped throwing mechanics will help him get back to the Pro Bowl form he showed off in 2018.

Mitchell Trubisky’s regression in 2019 was staggering.

“For me [the criticism is] very motivating,” Trubisky said on a conference call with reporters. “You’re always going to have people writing you off. It’s got to light a fire under you, which it has for me, and I’m just trying to prove everybody wrong and prove my teammates right.”

Trubisky led the Bears to an NFC North title in his first full season as a starter in 2018, but the regression he had in 2020 was jarring, to say the least. Trubisky’s 17 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and pitiful 6.1 yards per attempt despite quality receivers and a very savvy offensive head coach in Nagy have made Bears fans even more irate that they passed on Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in the 2017 draft.

While Trubisky’s lack of great arm talent and aggressive downfield are major flaws that put a hard cap on his pro potential, he is accurate when in rhythm and has plenty of athletic ability. Trubisky is working with QB coach Jeff Christensen in an effort to weed out his bad habits, improve his pocket poise, and arm himself with the tools needed to beat out Foles.

It’s no secret that Trubisky has plenty of doubters, especially considering his 2017 draft class contemporaries have already reached superstardom. Hopefully, this is the year he finally shuts them up.