Riley Ridley Explains His Strategy to Gain the Favor of Mitch Trubisky

Riley Ridley has some security with the Chicago Bears. He's their 4th round pick in the draft. That comes with some perks, almost guaranteeing him a spot on the roster. However, it doesn't go much further than that. This team isn't into the idea of handouts. You need to earn what you get. Competition is prevalent in every single practice. If you want to play on Sundays, you better prove you can in the six days before.

Ridley, being a wide receiver, understands that this comes with a primary objective. He has to gain the confidence of his quarterback in Mitch Trubisky. How does he do this though? With the Bears having such a deeper depth chart at the position this year, it could prove difficult for the rookie to garner any sort of favoritism from the young QB.

It turns out he has a strategy in mind. While talking with Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer of Bears All-Access, he explained what he views as the vital key to getting Trubisky to look his way more often.

"For the main part, I'll say it's just being consistent. Being able to do it on an in and out day basis. No matter the weather. No matter what's going on with the circumstances. Just being consistent. Well let alone coming with the route running and catching the ball but I feel that being consistent is more important to the quarterback. Knowing that you know your assignment, you'll be in the right place, (and) you'll catch the ball. It's more eye-opening to a quarterback."

Riley Ridley is a smart young man and absolutely correct

The thing about quarterbacks is they're like any other human beings. In times of pressure or crisis, they tend to fall back on things they trust. In football terms, when it's 3rd down and the team absolutely has to have a conversion, they're likely going to look for the target they trust the most. Last season it seemed that Taylor Gabriel filled that role. Why? He only had one dropped pass all season, catching 72% of the passes thrown his way.

This might explain why Gabriel was the second-most targeted wide receiver last year.

Ridley shows a clear understanding of why that was. It wasn't the speed or any incessant pestering in the huddle. It was the fact that he made sure he was in the right place at the right time and caught the football whenever Trubisky needed him to. That is what good receivers are supposed to be about. By all accounts the rookie is putting this method to good use in practice. It will be fun to see if that translates to more opportunities this season.