Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy wants the Detroit Lions to think about who will be his starting quarterback.
Nagy said on Saturday that he would not publicly announce Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles as the team’s starter before the Bears’ season opens in Detroit on September 13.
“It’s not going to happen until this game,” Nagy said on a Zoom call after the Bears trained at Soldier Field.
Trubisky and Foles have been locked in a battle for the starting position throughout training camp, evenly alternating days in the first team since padded practices began on August 17.
Nagy, who has confirmed the two will continue to split representatives next week, declined to say who has the advantage so far.
“For us we like where they are at, but it’s an internal issue for our coaches,” said Nagy. “It’s more sense of the game than anything else. But we know there can certainly be an improvement for both of them. They make good decisions. There are times when they make good throws. has times when they are making throws that they would like to regain.
“I’ll put it this way: intentionally I’m not going to give you direction just yet.
In 2018, Nagy’s first season as a head coach, the Bears went 12-4 as Trubisky passed for 3,223 yards, 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and rushed for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
Trubisky, while playing much of last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery in January, was 28th overall in QBR (39.4), tied for 27th in touchdown passes. (17), 21st in passing yards (3,138), 32nd in passing yards (6.1) and 28th in traditional quarterback standings (83.0).
Chicago came out and traded for Foles – the MVP of Super Bowl LII – at the start of the league’s new year. The Bears then turned down Trubisky’s fifth-year option and announced an open quarterback competition in training camp.
No quarterback dropped his hand on Saturday.
“I’m not really sure [where it all stands]”Said Trubisky.” I think that would be a good conversation to have with the coach probably on Sunday, see how we did after the scrum, go back and watch a movie and then have another great week of practice before saying they probably take a decision. But they haven’t really told us where we are or when the deadline is set. “
Adding Foles: “Honestly, I didn’t ask for any comment. I just want to go over there and help this team, play there, go run these games and help this attack and help this team in whatever role it is. . My focus is this. “
Foles said he was not focusing on competing.
“I don’t even think about it,” Foles said. “I just think about being the best player I can be for this team. With that, that’s where the coaches know I’m standing. That’s how I’ve been throughout my career. And so why should I change now and all of a sudden let this thing overtake me?
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