The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Bears in no rush to develop QB Mitchell Trubisky
BOURBONNAIS, ILL. » It was a sign of things to come for the Chicago Bears, whether in the near or distant future.
Labeled the third-team quarterback and a developmental project at the outset of training camp, rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky took snaps with the second team on Wednesday as the Bears completed a full week of practices.
“Don’t read too much into it,” coach John Fox said. “It’s just a matter of getting guys through different centers, different groups.
“It’s something that we mentioned would happen at some point throughout camp.”
The Bears traded up to the second pick in the first round to select Trubisky out of North Carolina in the 2017 draft, so his progress is important even if the plan is to let him learn behind starter Mike Glennon and backup Mark Sanchez.
It has been an up-anddown process to this point.
On Saturday, Trubisky fumbled three snaps in one drill, and then fumbled the next day again. He has since been steadier.
“He’s learning a whole new offense,” Fox said. “A whole different NFL coverage package that we see, a little bit more extensive types of coverages. So I think the guy’s done everything he can. He’s improving every day.
“He’s got a great work ethic. He learns quickly and works hard. You can’t ask for much more.”
Trubisky blamed himself for the fumbles, although they came with different players at center. One of the concerns over Trubisky heading into the draft was his inexperience taking direct snaps from center, because he played in the shotgun in college.
“It was frustrating because that was uncharacteristic of me and I’ve just got to handle that,” Trubisky said. “They were just wasted plays and I was kind of frustrated because I kind of wasted a team session right there and I didn’t allow myself or my teammates to get better.
“You’ve just got to block that out, bounce back.”
Trubisky has developed a knack for hitting rookie tight end Adam Shaheen, the team’s second-round pick this year. Undrafted Wyoming rookie Gentry Tanner has been another favorite.
Besides running his third-team plays, Trubisky is using virtual reality while away from the practice field to try to learn how to assess defenses.
“I’m really surprised what that technology has allowed us to do,” Trubisky said. “Instead of just watching film, you’re actually getting reps (plays) without your body having to go through it.”