Mitchell Trubisky knows what you were thinking. He had to fight thinking it himself.
But the Bears quarterback surprised everyone with yesterday’s comeback to lead the Bears to a 27-23 win over the Lions, a gratifying win for him after the offseason he had and his own ugly start to the game.
“You can’t go back to that dark place,” Trubisky told Peter King of NBC’s Football Morning in America. “You can’t go back to, My stats aren’t any good. It’s happening again. At times like that, I find myself focusing on my teammates, the guys you grind with. Our relationships run deep. We lean on each other. And I think you’ve just got to believe in yourself, believe you can do it, there’s still time.”
That faith has been tested, because there was very little evidence this offseason it was shared by many.
The Bears didn’t pick up the fifth-year option for the former second-overall pick. then they traded for Nick Foles, picking up a big contract in the process. Then there was a competition, which it was reasonable to assume Trubisky might not win.
And even with the Bears falling into a 23-6 hole, he didn’t waver, having been bolstered by those around him. He talked about the way coach Matt Nagy had expressed his belief, and how Foles had become a trusted friend and mentor through the process.
“It’s crazy,” Trubisky said. “I do catch a lot of crap. But like coach says, you’ve got to enjoy the wins in the NFL, and I’m going to. This was a special day. I’m thankful for what I have in life, especially now, with COVID-19 and social injustice everywhere. I’m really grateful just to be playing football right now.
“The game’s made me a better man, a better person. It’s made me tougher. It’s why I never gave up today.”
The number of hurdles he had to overcome to reach this point was significant, and many of them were self-inflicted. But for a day at least, Trubisky cleared them, and was able to smile and keep moving.