New Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich is walking into a difficult situation. This will be his first foray into the NFL after 20 years on the college level. The Bears finished 2017 with the 30th ranked offense in the league. It falls to him and head coach Matt Nagy to work towards turning things around. To do that they must work to elevate quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
Helfrich knew his top priority was to get a sense of the 23-year old. He’s no stranger to dealing with the position. Marcus Mariota was his greatest achievement during his run as offensive coordinator and head coach at Oregon. As it turns out though, Helfrich didn’t even have to go seeking out opinions.
They came to him. Before he could barely unpack all his things the new coach found himself in conversation with the Bears offensive linemen. Only he wasn’t the one talking. They were ready and willing to offer their impressions of Trubisky without even being asked.
Mark Helfrich senses a Mariota aura with Mitch Trubisky
During his first press conference Helfrich explained how Trubisky shares a lot in common with Mariota, and what the offensive line was so eager to tell him.
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“Mitchell has a tight release. He’s an accurate passer. They also have a couple of things similar that make them inaccurate. Their feet take them out of position. I sense from talking to a couple of offensive linemen, and this was unsolicited, when your offensive linemen are talking about how hard your quarterback works, that’s a great sign.”
It’s no secret that the Bears offensive line has grown fond of Trubisky over the past few months. Josh Sitton, Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair and Bobby Massie have all had glowing things to say about the rookie. They love his drive, his fire and his command of the huddle. One of the hardest things to do for a young QB is win over the guys who have to protect you. Trubisky seems to have done it with ease.
Absolutely. Not only with his athleticism and quartebacking skill, but he has the drive and mentality to be one. Also: Love that multiple O-linemen (Sitton & Massie) have said Trubisky has told them to "shut the f*** up" in the huddle. He commands respect, too. https://t.co/tpbYSGetOF
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) December 15, 2017
Helfrich certainly sounded like he was impressed, and more than a little intrigued. What he did with Mariota at Oregon was considered some of the best work in college football history. Now he has a chance to paint on an entirely new canvas in the NFL. If Trubisky truly is comparable to Mariota, then the rest of the league should be put on notice to what’s coming.
