Chicago Bears rookie Mitchell Trubisky relishes the opportunity to speak with high-profile quarterbacks -- past and present -- about how to handle life in the NFL.
Trubisky -- selected second overall by the Bears – said on Friday that Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Ben Roethlisberger are among the quarterbacks he has leaned on for advice since leaving North Carolina for the pros.
“I talked to Peyton throughout the pre-draft process about whether to come out for the draft or go back to school,” Trubisky said on ESPN 1000’s “Kap and Co. Show.”
“He gave me advice on that; as well as what the NFL is all about and what you have to do in order to succeed. I spoke with Luck about the same thing. I love talking to the guys around the league. I’m all about being a sponge and getting as much information as possible.”
Trubisky thinks arguably the best wisdom came from Roethlisberger, who like Manning, is a two-time Super Bowl champion.
“One of the best pieces of advice I got was from Ben Roethlisberger,” Trubisky said. “We have the same agent so I was able to throw with him when I was preparing for the draft. He said, ‘You just have to go in there and be yourself. You have to be confident in your abilities and what you bring to the table. And your career is going to go how you want it to go.
"It sounds cliché, but I think that really resonated with me because you have to take charge of your future, your plan, and what you want to bring to an organization. You have to go in there, be confident, shape things the way you want them to go and have a voice and then people will follow. That was huge for me.”
There is no question that Trubisky -- barring injury -- will one day be Chicago’s starting quarterback. In the short term, however, Trubisky is behind veteran Mike Glennon ($16 million guaranteed in 2017) on the depth chart, and possibly Mark Sanchez, who looked good in the club’s offseason program before suffering a knee injury prior to mandatory minicamp. Trubisky quarterbacked the second team after Sanchez went down, but it remains to be seen how the Bears dole out reps in training camp.
Regardless of where Trubisky ranks internally -- for now -- he wants to keep soaking up advice from experienced quarterbacks around him.
“We have a great quarterback room -- me, Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez and Connor Shaw,” Trubisky said. “I’m excited to be a part of this group and play for quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. I think I’m in a great spot, surrounded by great people. I’m going to continue and talk to as many guys as I can and learn the tricks of the trade.”
Trubisky remains the Bears' only unsigned draft pick, but he said Friday that he does not intend to hold out. Players are scheduled to report to camp on July 26.