But because Trubisky is an easy target, his tunnel vision approach — “because you’ve got too many people talking on TV about us and what they think about us” — largely is being received as weak.
Here is the 25-year-old’s quote in full, via ESPN:
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The negative response on social media began as soon as Trubisky’s words reached the internet Wednesday, and it continued into Thursday. Below are some examples.
Consider the low-hanging fruit officially plucked.
Yes, Trubisky has been bad this season. He ranks 31st in the NFL with his 34.8 QBR and has thrown for just 1,217 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions through eight games. In turn, the Bears rank 29th in yards per game and 27th in points per game in 2019. If Chicago is lucky, its impressively horrible output in the first half of last week’s loss to the Eagles will be the low point.
The Bears know this, and they don’t need to be reminded.
Chicago won the NFC North last season, and at 3-5, the team is in danger of dropping from first to worst in its division. This week’s home game against 3-4-1 Detroit is a big one in that regard. Trubisky, the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, is in danger of losing his job thanks to his poor play. So when the Bears are being discussed on those TVs in Halas Hall, the only possible product is negativity.
Trubisky’s desire to reduce the pessimism surrounding his team doesn’t mean he can’t handle the gloom. It means he recognizes the unhealthy nature of the reverberation. And for the players who thrive on an underdog mentality, who use this criticism as fuel, they can get their fix on social media whenever they need it. There’s plenty.
Trubisky evidently is not one of those players. Neither is LeBron James, but when the NBA star goes dark on social media before the playoffs for the same reasons, nobody considers him “broken.”
It’s not as easy to call the best basketball player on the planet weak for ignoring fruitless noise.
