Few coaches know Mitch Trubisky better than Larry Fedora. He was the man at North Carolina who helped recruit the Ohio high school star and developed him over the course of four years into an eventual #2 overall draft pick. Fedora, the offensive coordinator at Baylor now has explained many times about what makes his former pupil tick. His confidence in the quarterback has never wavered, but he understands time is running short on him realizing the goal of becoming a true franchise guy.
Fedora spoke with Chris Emma of 670 The Score about Trubisky and what he’s facing going into the 2020 season. Most notably the arrival of veteran Nick Foles via trade from Jacksonville. The coach expressed an understanding of why the Bears did it. If anything, in his mind this isn’t a bad thing for Trubisky. Quite the opposite in fact. History does show that the QB tends to respond when pushed.
“I really think it will be good for him,” Fedora said. “It will be a positive situation. He’s been in a quarterback battle before, and he knows how to handle it. He knows what overcoming adversity is.”
Fedora is referring to Trubisky’s two years at North Carolina spent battling Marquise Williams, who’d arrived a year before him and was the entrenched starter in 2014 and 2015. Something that ate at Trubisky since he couldn’t play.
Mitch Trubisky remembers the feeling of sitting on the bench
It was not a secret that Trubisky grew antsy during those two seasons. He wanted to play and even briefly considered transferring out of North Carolina to pursue a chance to start elsewhere. Williams, while an inferior talent, was winning games. The coaches couldn’t justify pulling him. In the end, Trubisky stayed put. He worked extremely hard in practice and the film room to ensure he was ready whenever his chance came. Between 2015 and 2016, he threw for over 4,300 yards, 36 touchdowns, and six interceptions on 494 passes.
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Clearly he was dialed in and motivated. That is the Trubisky the Bears are banking on getting this summer when training camp begins. Head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace both made it clear the Foles addition isn’t about replacing him. It’s to push him. They want to see how he responds with a lit fire under his butt. If he responds with standout play? Terrific. Mission accomplished.
If not? The team has their answer and hand the baton to Foles.