As the Bears prepare their next quarterback of the future for his first NFL preseason, the last one tried to explain what went wrong.
Speaking to Bills reporters Tuesday in Orchard Park, N.Y., quarterback Mitch Trubisky was peppered with questions about why his Bears stint ended the way it did — in disappointing fashion only four years after the team made him the No. 2 overall pick.
Trubisky said he could sense the Bears losing interest in him before deciding not to pick up his fifth-year option in May 2020.
“I kind of saw it coming, just the way I was progressing,” he said. “Year 2 was really good and then Year 3 and 4, not as good. I was dealing with some injuries and some other things going on there, but like I said, it was disappointing but it wasn’t a surprise.
“Throughout the process, you can kind of see that they were just continuously believing in me less and less, and that’s just kind of how that process went.”
If Trubisky has an argument, it’s that the Bears benched him after barely 10 quarters of football in 2020 — despite him winning the first two games of the season. Otherwise, though, it’s hard to imagine a franchise showing greater public belief in a draft pick than the Bears did in Years 1-3, when they never signed a quarterback to threaten his starting job and refused to say a negative thing about the North Carolina alum.
Trubisky said there was “definitely” pressure that came with being the No. 2 pick.
“You’re playing in one of the biggest markets in the country and it’s a tough football town,” he said.” But I went out threw and won games. I continued to get better. I’m just happy to be where I am now.
“But people are always gonna have something to say about your journey and what everything goes to. But not everybody could have done what I did.”
A reporter referenced Trubisky’s record as the starter — 29-21 — and asked if he got a raw deal.
“I really don’t like to dwell on the past and I don’t want to go too far into it,” he said. “The point of this game is to win. Numbers are numbers and stats are stats. What i was trying to do is go out there and win games. I feel like now if given the opportunity I can go out and help my team win.
