Mitch Trubisky honored but not impressed being Pro Bowl alternate

Mitch Trubisky has repeatedly said that nobody is a bigger critic of his play as a quarterback than himself. So outside talk doesn’t mean much.

That might explain why the 24-year old cam across as mildly interested when asked about the announcement that he and six teammates were chosen as alternates for the Pro Bowl. This made him the first Bears quarterback in 33 years to receive any sort of honor like that. For those wondering? No Jay Cutler did not receive such consideration in 2015. That’s a popular myth. He deserved it without question but it did not happen.

One would think Trubisky would be at least a little excited about accomplishing something no one else has since Jim McMahon. Turns out that’s not the case. He didn’t seem overly engaged on it. Why? According to him, it’s because he feels he can be better. His job isn’t done. Much of his success to this point, in his mind, is credited to his teammates.

"“I feel like you’ve got to appreciate how far you’ve come, which I have,” Trubisky said. “But I know I still have a long ways to go. It’s cool to get recognized, but all the credit goes to my teammates. They’re the reason I got a recognition like that. But I just want to make sure that I continue to keep the first thing first, which is winning games for this team and continuing to get better. I know if I just keep getting better, everything else will take care of itself.”"

Mitch Trubisky has not found his groove yet, which is scary

Trubisky has played 12 games this year, missing two with a shoulder injury. In that time he’s thrown for 2,814 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. This amounts to a 94.1 passer rating. If that holds over the final two games of the season, Trubisky will have produced the best single-season rating in Bears history. That’s certainly an accomplishment given it’s his first year in a new offense and his overall lack of experience.

More than anything Trubisky has one advantage on his side: time. With this winning season, the Bears can now afford to remain patient with him. They have a great defense. They have running backs, tight ends, and receivers in place. All there is to do is keep working with him. History says that the more time he spends in this system, the better he’ll get at executing it. Given how well he’s done without that benefit, it bodes well for the future.