Everybody has heard the Mitch Trubisky playoff comments by now. The rookie was asked a simple question. What were his expectations for the 2017 Chicago Bears? Simple yes, but also loaded. Rather than demure and evade, the young quarterback decided to be honest, saying he felt the team was capable of reaching the postseason.
To be fair he added it wasn’t a guarantee. Just something he believed was possible. Nonetheless it creates a small buzz in the football community. Reactions from fans and media were mixed. Some laughed at the idea, others liked the boldness of the rookie to speak his mind. The superstitious lot felt he risked putting a jinx on the franchise before the season even started.
Either way the debates began, putting the #2 overall pick under the microscope. So what about other Bears alum? Perhaps somebody who knows a thing or two about locker room etiquette and procedure.
Brian Urlacher sounds off on Mitch Trubisky playoff stance
Eight-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker Brian Urlacher remains a hero in Chicago. So anytime he has something to say, it’s taken as gospel. After all the man is the most recent superstar the franchise has had and the team hasn’t been the same since he left. Talking on The Rich Eisen Podcast, he was asked his thoughts on Trubisky.
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There was no hesitation in the answer.
Urlacher was never a guy to accept low expectations. Every year he demanded two things from himself and his teammates: playing hard and wanting to win. If they weren’t gunning for a Super Bowl every year, he didn’t want to play with them. Perhaps that’s why he never got along with Jay Cutler. It was never entirely clear what his motivations were.
Hearing Trubisky set the standard from the beginning is the right sort of message to be sent. Being around other players who want to win is infectious. Urlacher knew that well during the second half of his career. It’s nice to know he wouldn’t have done much to discourage the rookie were he still leader of the locker room.