Matt Nagy has made his feelings clear about playing starters during the preseason: it’s an unnecessary risk to take when health is of utmost importance.
So it was surprising when Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky suited up for Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. Especially with so many other starters on the bench.
Trubisky’s first preseason game lasted one series — three consecutive handoffs — before he was pulled. He didn’t attempt a single pass, which seems like the point. Why subject your starting quarterback to injury in a meaningless preseason game?
When Nagy was asked after the game if he’d be okay if Trubisky didn’t attempt another pass in a live game until September, Nagy made his feelings clear.
Last season, Trubisky played a decent amount between the first two preseason games, which makes sense with a young quarterback learning a new offense.
He didn’t play in the Hall of Fame game, but in the Week 1 game against the Bengals, Trubisky played two series, where he attempted five passes, scrambled once and took a sack.
In Week 2 against the Broncos, Trubisky saw significant playing time, where he played well into the second quarter. He had four drives, where he attempted a total of 15 passes and two scrambles.
Trubisky and the rest of the starters didn’t play the final two preseason games, including the “dress rehearsal” game, which sparked controversy over 25-30 preseason snaps.
Ultimately, it ended up being the smart choice, epecially as Leonard Floyd and Adam Shaheen both sustained injuries early in the preseason.
So why was Trubisky even in Thursday’s game against the Panthers?
While Trubisky will likely suit up for next Friday’s preseason game against the Giants, it will likely be another calculated outing by Nagy.
But don’t expect Trubisky or the other starters to play past that. The next time you’ll see them will be September 5 against the Green Bay Packers.
