Matt Nagy Admits He Showed No Mercy to Trubisky Last Year

Matt Nagy understands the quarterback position more than most if for no other reason than he played it for a long time. He did so in high school, college, and the Arena Football League. Then he coached it for five years in Kansas City as an assistant and offensive coordinator. He gets how important the position is to success in football, and also how difficult it can be to play. It takes an inhuman amount of work to play it at the highest level. Nagy wasn't able to get there himself, but he now understands it's his job to ensure that Mitch Trubisky does. There were flashes of what the two could do together in 2018. The second-year QB finished with the most efficient season in team history and became the first since Jim McMahon to make the Pro Bowl. There are still wrinkles to iron out, but it's headed in the right direction. Nagy though believes one of the issues may have actually been how he handled Trubisky. During a podcast interview with the Chicago Tribune, he admitted he was hard on the young quarterback. Often too hard.

“It wasn’t fair to him because I was too hard on him. In meetings. Or in practice. Or in the games. What I have to do is make sure (I remember) that I’m not talking to a 13-year vet quarterback who has been in this offense for five years.”

Matt Nagy is right to demand much from Mitch Trubisky

One can understand how Nagy feels. For a guy who is a family man and so personable, it's not easy to play the role of a villainous taskmaster at times. Even if it might be for the greater good of the player and the team. It's fine that Nagy might wish to go a little easier on Mitch at times, but he cannot lose that sense of urgency and demand as the coach. Look across the history at the best quarterbacks of all time. Almost invariably they'll say a ton of their success could be credited to a head coach who was exceedingly hard on them. It was true of Terry Bradshaw in with Chuck Noll. It was true of Joe Montana with Bill Walsh and it's been true of Tom Brady with Bill Belichick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFaHXsjlumw Perfect may not be achievable in life, but striving for it is what separates the great ones from the rest. That Trubisky didn't flinch in the face of Nagy's persistent demands says a lot. Not just about his mental fortitude but also about his clear understands of the responsibility on his shoulders. If he wants to be the best, he'll have to work as hard as the best. If that means taking hard coaching, then so be it. Here's hoping Nagy doesn't let up too much.