What do Chicago Bears fans know at this point in regards to Mitch Trubisky and his status in the organization? Well, it's obvious he was a favorite of GM Ryan Pace. One doesn't give up four draft picks to secure a player without being a big fan. Since that time, Pace has remained steadfast in his support of the young quarterback publicly. Multiple outlets also indicate the same is true behind closed doors. Despite the rough 2019 season, Pace isn't ready to quit Trubisky. Matt Nagy on the other hand?
He embraced the challenge of developing the quarterback when he arrived in 2018. There were some initial successes. Trubisky went 11-3 and made the Pro Bowl as an alternate. He even came a missed field goal away from winning a playoff game. However, even back then there were signs that he wasn't fully grasping his position. Those only intensified as thing around him started to get tougher. Good quarterbacks are able to raise their game in such conditions. Instead, Trubisky faltered. There were times he looked downright lost and Nagy had few answers as to what he else he could do to help.
He dumbed down the offense.
He incorporated more I-formation running the football.
Lots of short, high-percentage passes.
Some of it worked, but it couldn't cover up all the problems that remained. When the season ended, people were left asking an interesting question. If he'd been the head coach back in 2017, would he have signed off on Trubisky being the pick? According to Laurence Holmes of NBC Sports Chicago, the answer is no.
He explained why on a recent Under Center Podcast.
"I've heard a lot of people around Nagy from Kansas City say, 'Look, we knew what his quarterback board was back in '17. It was Mahomes...Watson...and he thought Trubisky was a really interesting project.' That there was something there, but he felt the other two guys were surer bets."
Matt Nagy saw Trubisky as a challenge, not a franchise fixture
This is a fascinating statement. People will ask why would Nagy take the Bears job if he felt Trubisky was a project? The answer to that is simple. Believing he was a project didn't mean the coach felt the QB was bad, just unrefined. Also, remember that only 32 jobs like this exist in the world. It isn't easy to get a head coaching position in the NFL. Of course, Nagy was going to say he could help Trubisky get better. Saying otherwise would've immediately disqualified him from a job he wanted. Pace wanted someone who would help his prized pick excel.
Nagy has done everything possible to help the 25-year old grasp how to play the position properly. It hasn't worked. After two years, what else is there to see? The odds of the light suddenly going on for Trubisky in 2020 are remote. Anybody who understands football knows this. We have likely seen the best he'll ever be. Nagy would understand that better than anybody, which might explain the recent rumor that there is an unnamed person of power in Halas Hall who has soured on Trubisky.
Based on this new information, it would not be a surprise at all if Nagy is that person.
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