Chicago Bears: 5 Players who must put up or shut up in Week 1

The most obvious Chicago Bears player who must step up is Mitch Trubisky

Should I just skip writing about the fact that Mitch Trubisky needs to put up or shut up versus the Detroit Lions? If you remember, I am the writer who gave you the “open letter from a Mitch Trubisky stan“. Here’s the thing though. Even as a huge Trubisky truther and supporter, I understand that he needs to prove himself this season or his career in Chicago is over. In fact, his career as a starter could be over if he does not perform in 2020.

The Chicago Bears have had some great success against the Detroit Lions as of late. Since Matt Nagy has become the head coach, the team has gone 4-0 versus Matt Patricia’s Lions. We should not just expect that trend to continue in 2020, but the Bears are easily the better team on paper — yes, even with Trubisky under center.

Not only have the Bears done well against the Lions, but Trubisky himself has also seen great success. Over his three-year career with the Bears, Trubisky has a career quarterback rating of 106.3 versus the Lions. His completion percentage averages out to 70.06 versus the Lions too. In five games, he has thrown 11 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Last year was his best versus the Lions as he threw six of his 11 touchdowns and only one interception.

The point is, Trubisky needs to find this success against more than the Lions, but facing off against the Detroit defense could prove beneficial to a Bears team that needs to start the season off strong. Trubisky needs to string together some strong games and keep his confidence up. He has the physical talent, but his down-in-the-dumps mental attitude when things are not going right could be his career killer.