Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky has some advice for newly-drafted New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is in the same situation that Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky was in when he was drafted. When the Bears traded up to choose Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, there was some criticism. Trubisky wasn’t even the highest-rated quarterback going into a draft that included guys such as Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes.
Trubisky had an average rookie season, which raised even more question marks. Through 12 games, the former North Carolina Tar Heel completed 59.4% of his throws for 2,193 yards and only seven touchdowns to seven picks. However, Trubisky saw a dramatic improvement in his sophomore campaign in the pros. He completed 66.6% of his passes in 2018 for 3,223 yards and 24 touchdowns to 12 picks. His efforts brought the Bears to the playoffs and earned him his first Pro Bowl nod.
Fast forward to the 2019 draft and Jones is essentially in the same situation. After the Giants drafted him with the No. 6 overall pick, they received much criticism for the selection. Many believe the Giants could’ve gone with an edge rusher with the No. 6 pick and gone with Jones at No. 17 overall.
Trubisky can absolutely relate to this sort of criticism that Jones and the Giants are receiving. The Bears quarterback gave Jones some advice when he spoke to Mike Florio and Dan “Big Cat” Katz on the PFT PM podcast on Monday.
“Block out everyone on the outside,” Trubisky said. “Block out the media, Twitter, everybody who’s hating on your situation and trying to say that you don’t deserve it. When you get to the facility, it’s all about football.”
The Chicago quarterback also expressed how he’s aware of what Jones is going through at the moment. However, he reminds Jones that getting through the crowd at the bottom is the first step to becoming a true professional.
“I definitely feel with Daniel on how he feels going through that situation because it kind of was very similar to how it was in Chicago,” Trubisky said. “It can feel uncomfortable at first because, for us, we’re just kids coming out of college and it’s a dream come true. You finally get picked and whoever picks you, you don’t know if you’re going to go first or last. For us to get picked it’s a dream come true and then all of a sudden you feel like you’re not accepted into this organization where you already have this added pressure because of where you got selected. That’s not really fair to the kid.
“But at the same time, you learn that’s what comes with the profession of playing professional football at this level. Just having to handle the fan bases, having to handle the situation and pressure of the position you’re in now. It’s all part of the learning process. At the same time it puts a chip on your shoulder. I know it did for me. Everybody who doubted me and thought I didn’t deserve to be picked No. 2 overall, I think I’m still trying to prove those people wrong to this day. That’s something Daniel’s going to have to do.”
Regardless of the criticism, Jones is the successor to Eli Manning and the long-term plan for the Giants at quarterback. It’s his job to deal with the critics, and fans are sure he’ll do it with grace. When you learn behind a guy such as Eli, it shouldn’t end up being an issue.
