While it's not quite the olden days when defenses weren't strapped down by layers of rules, quarterbacks still get hit in the NFL. Sometimes they can get hit really hard. It's football after all. Contact sports tend to bring a certain degree of physicality and pain. Even for guys as protected as them. Mitch Trubisky understands this well.
The Chicago Bears quarterback has already received his fair share of hard shots over the past two years. Some of them clean, others not so much. He received a few of the latter variety last year in games against Minnesota and San Francisco. One of which, the late shot from Vikings safety Harrison Smith, knocked him out for two games with a shoulder injury.
Was that the hardest hit he's received to this point in his career?
Mitch Trubisky hit happened late in the 2nd quarter
The good news for Trubisky is Williams has decided to retire. So he won't have to see the big defensive tackle again. The hit in question occurred with 5:48 left in the first half. It was 2nd and 20 to go, an obvious passing situation. Trubisky took the snap from shotgun. Williams immediately bit rookie guard James Daniels, forcing Trubisky to unload the ball.
Just as the pass got away, Williams delivered a hard shot right into the QB's rib cage. One doesn't need a replay to know that one had to hurt. It wouldn't be surprising if Trubisky had the wind knocked out of him for a few minutes. To his credit, he never missed a snap after that. In fact, on the next drive he helped set up a touchdown to increase the lead to 21-0.
It wasn't his best game of the year by any stretch, but it was a reminder that Trubisky is plenty tough. Also, it's a nod of respect to just how good Williams was as a player. A six-time Pro Bowler and still somehow underrated. If nothing else, he gave a valuable lesson to Daniels who would later employ it in his signature game against Aaron Donald.
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