Chicago Bears' Trubisky says he's ready return
He's back.
Barring anything unforeseen, quarterback Mitch Trubisky will return to the driver's seat of the Chicago Bears' offense for the first time in three weeks when the Los Angeles Rams (11-1) come into Soldier Field on Sunday night.
"I feel strong that he will play, but I've got to see more," Bears coach Matt Nagy said before Wednesday's practice, when Trubisky was a full participant and threw multiple passes during the period open to the media.
"I feel good about it. I hope so. I'm anxious to get him out there and see him throw the ball around in practice with the guys, and then be able to evaluate him off that."
After starting the first 10 games and helping lead the Bears to a 7-3 record, Trubisky missed the past two games with a shoulder injury suffered at the end of the 25-20 Nov. 18 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. In his absence, the Bears split the two games with Chase Daniel at quarterback, winning at Detroit and losing to the New York Giants in New Jersey.
Trubisky followed Nagy to the podium Wednesday and was asked if he expected to play Sunday night.
"I do," he said. "I've just got to show coach (Nagy) that I can play. I'm feeling good about where I'm at. As long as I can show them that I can go out there everyday and make all the throws and be the player that they know I am, I feel confident that I'll be able to go."
Being able to make all the throws in the offense is just part of what Trubisky must prove to Nagy. Because a big part of his game involves using his run skills to provide an added dimension to the offense, the Bears also want to take precautions against a re-injury.
"(I have to) just show him that I can make all the throws, and that I'm 100 percent," Trubisky said. "And (that there are) absolutely no reservations in my game - when I run, when I throw, when I pull it down, anything. (Show that) I'm just the same guy I was before, and even stronger from the treatment and exercises I've been doing.
"Just go out there and have a great week of practice and be as prepared as possible. The arm feels really good. It feels great. I'm right where I need to be and ahead of schedule."
The pain tolerance is a concern, but so is the chance of re-injury and the long-term health of Trubisky's throwing shoulder. This is the first injury of his professional career. He became the starter last year in Game 5 of his rookie season and had started 22 straight games.
"Anytime there's any pain, I'm just communicating that and being smart about it," he said. "My pain tolerance has gone up over the years, just being able to know what you can play through and know when you just need to pull back a little bit.
"So it's just really not trying to be a superhero, because you don't want anything to linger the rest of this year (and) my career going forward. Especially since it's so crucial, being my throwing shoulder.
"But I know exactly what I can do. I know what I can tolerate and what I can't, and what I can play through and how to be smart and go out there and do what I need to for my team."
Trubisky's 97.7 passer rating is 15th in the NFL, and the Bears won each of his last four starts. He has thrown 18 touchdown passes and just 6 interceptions in his last seven games.
He also is third in rushing yards among quarterbacks with 363, trailing only Carolina's Cam Newton (450) and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson (404). But Trubisky has averaged 7.1 yards per attempt, while the other two are at 4.9.
Against a Rams team that averages 35 points a game, the Bears figure to need Trubisky's arm and his legs to keep pace.
• Bob LeGere is a senior writer at Pro Football Weekly. Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere or @PFWeekly.