Kurt Warner understands better than anybody what navigating the realities of quarterback in the NFL is like. There were multiple times throughout his career where he felt his time in the league was over. It took a long time for him to reach the level that would eventually help put him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So he can understand some of the plights that Mitch Trubisky is currently going through.
Warner at least had the benefit of being undrafted, so expectations of him when he first became a starter were the lowest of the low. There was no pressure. That hasn't been the case for Trubisky, who was drafted #2 overall in 2017 ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. With Mahomes already a Super Bowl champion, the pressure on him must feel immense. Some are ready to pull the plug. It's been three years. The Bears have seen what he is.
Warner understands this, but does he agree with it? Not necessarily. He took the time to speak with Lou Canellis of Fox 32. He stated how Trubisky has definitely shown flashes of being a really good quarterback. The trick is getting to a point where he can do that consistently. The reality is not every quarterback develops at the same rate.
Mitch Trubisky still has time to realize his potential
Warner stated that he didn't become that MVP player everybody remembers until he was 28-years old. He, like Trubisky, only started one season in college. After that, he spent time in the Arena League and NFL Europe before becoming a backup with the St. Louis Rams. Even then it took being surrounded by Hall of Fame talents like Orlando Pace, Marshall Faulk, and Isaac Bruce to become a league MVP and Super Bowl champion.
That was his fifth year of professional football.
Trubisky is entering his fourth and is most definitely not surrounded by Hall of Fame talent. That would explain why GM Ryan Pace continues to urge people to stay patient. Problems with the offense run much deeper than just the quarterback. They have to get other areas straightened out. Especially at tight end and along the offensive line. Is it so unreasonable to think that Trubisky can flip the switch with a little more time?
Warner doesn't think so.
