Danny Trevathan is trying to win a championship. That is what the Chicago Bears brought him in to help achieve. The linebacker has made his mission clear. He wants to forge a legacy in the illustrious history of Bears linebackers. He knows that can't happen for him without a Super Bowl ring. Time is not on his side at age 30.
That is why 2020 is so huge for him and the team. The salary cap threatens to tank next year which could force the team to gut a large chunk of their higher-priced players. That means this season could be their last true chance to make a run at a title before having to reload. It feels like in order to do this, it won't just be about which team is the most talented.
It's also about who takes the COVID-19 pandemic the most serious.
Trevathan made it clear during his recent interview. While coaches and team trainers can provide all the advice in the world, it falls to the players themselves to not put themselves or the team in danger of infection.
“We have to govern ourselves. Everybody’s got to be accountable. Everybody’s got to be responsible and think about the next man’s family as well as yours. Because you don’t want anybody coming in there sick and then you end up getting sick and you take it back home to your family. That’s just not a good feeling or a good situation.
“So the downtime is when you really have to be a pro. You’ve got to cover yourself and take it seriously. One slip up and it can spread like wildfire as far as I think. So I feel like you’ve just got to hone in and think about the bigger picture.”
Danny Trevathan was and remains the Bears' leader
Chicago has plenty of leaders in their locker room. Akiem Hicks is a big one. Cody Whitehair and Eddie Jackson are others. Yet it's clear that the guy who is the true commanding voice is Trevathan. He embraces that role like nobody else. Somebody who talks the talk and will back it up on the field. He's also the only one who already has a Super Bowl ring, which only adds to his credibility.
It is hardly a surprise that he intends to be lenient with anybody who puts the entire team at risk just because they can't go without a trip to a club or a casino or a beach for a few months. That is incredibly selfish and Trevathan isn't having it. His statement to the media was a message. If he needs to be the bad cop in this? So be it.
