The Bears are 2-0. Which means that Mitchell Trubisky has run his record to 2-0 since fending off Nick Foles for the starting spot on the quarterback depth chart.
After Sunday’s 17-13 win over the Giants, Trubisky discussed at length a turbulent offseason that resulted in Trubisky keeping his job.
Trubisky, while driving home from Soldier Field, explained that he developed a new mindset after the Bears traded for Foles. The move came during the early days of the pandemic, giving Trubisky an opportunity to “self-reflect” on “how I wanted my career to go.”
He decided to put in the work necessary to eventually prove that he deserves the job. The team’s decision to not pick up Trubisky’s fifth-year option for 2021 added “more fuel to the fire,” causing him to “feel like I control my own destiny.”
“Now it’s up to me to prove it,” Trubisky said.
He focused on his craft, embarking on a competition that was as fair and open as coach Matt Nagy and G.M. Ryan Pace told Trubisky it would be.
“The reps were split down the middle,” Trubisky said. “I tried not to think who had the edge. I just wanted to show my teammates what I’d done in the offseason and how badly I wanted it.”
Trubisky had “no idea” he’d won until Nagy shared the decision, nine days before the regular-season opener. The news “came out of nowhere,” and Trubisky had “no idea which way it would go.”
Through two weeks, Trubisky has strengthened his grip on the job. The numbers aren’t spectacular, but they’ve been more than good enough to propel the Bears to an unlikely and unexpected 2-0 start.
More importantly, Trubisky has gained real confidence through re-winning his job and then winning two games. On the phone after Sunday’s game, he sounded different. More confident. More self-assured. More determined. If the Bears keep winning, Trubisky’s confidence will keep growing, which could lead to even more winning.