Chicago Bears: 5 biggest challenges facing Mitchell Trubisky
Starting Over from Scratch
We are going to start with not only the most obvious but also the biggest challenge Trubisky faces. In fact, it would be a monumental challenge for a seasoned veteran, let alone a second-year quarterback with a total of 12 professional starts. Obviously, I’m referring to installing an entirely new offense with a brand new coaching staff.
Last season, Trubisky experienced the “crawl” phase of learning to become an NFL quarterback. Most fans certainly hoped he would have also experienced the “walk” and “jog” phases, but multiple factors prevented that. First and foremost, conservative playcalling held him back. No reasonable fan could disagree. Now you may disagree as to the reasons for that conservative offense, but no one can dispute it was extremely basic.
Now, Trubisky is essentially being asked to go from crawling to flying in a matter of months. Not only is he learning new plays, and new terminology, but also trying to do it with increased pace. The reports out of OTAs and minicamp have indicated that Nagy is making a concerted effort to get the ball out of Trubisky’s hands faster. Moreover, Nagy’s offense is filled with nuances that makes it even more complex.
Coach Nagy: you can see 7 different coverages on each one of our plays and we have hundreds and hundreds of plays. So it’s going to take time. #Bears
— Patrick Sheldon (@P_Shels) May 23, 2018
No doubt, that is a lot to throw at a young signal-caller. However, all indications are that Trubisky is handling it extremely well. There will, of course, be bumps in the road. but Trubisky is digesting an incredible amount of information. Just take a look at a quote from Chase Daniel in that same Patrick Finley article. In comparing where Trubisky is at compared to Alex Smith when he first installed Andy Redi and Nagy’s offense in Kansas City, Daniel said:
"“I’d say it’s way ahead of schedule. I think that’s on purpose, too. I think coaches are doing it on purpose and putting a lot of stress on us now. And once training camp comes, we’ll get back to fundamentals and details.”"
That is awfully encouraging news. It is also a good indication that Trubisky is handling his biggest offseason challenge like a professional. For that reason alone, Bears fans should be optimistic. However, there are more hurdles ahead.