Nick Foles

The Thursday Night Football battle between Foles and Brady was the first time two NFL QBs had taken part in a Super Bowl rematch while both representing different teams.

Despite the Bucs racing out to a 13-point lead, it was Foles and the Bears who emerged with a 20-19 win at Solider Field that moved them to 4-1.

Foles also tasted victory over Brady when the Philadelphia Eagles faced the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, but defenses were more of a factor in this meeting.

Brady was sacked three times and pressured throughout, ultimately restricted to 253 yards and one touchdown as the Bucs, who fell to 3-2, racked up 11 penalties.
 
"Any time you can frustrate Tom Brady, it's a great day, and our defense did that," said Foles, who had an up-and-down outing with 243 yards, one touchdown and one pick. 

"I was really proud of our defense and what they did.

"It wasn't an easy game by any means. It was a fistfight. We just kept fighting, kept fighting, and everyone just kept throwing punches. 

"I would say the big thing was we got to learn how to go through a fistfight like this and come out on top. You don't want them every week, but if that's what it takes to win every week, that's what we'll do.

"It reminded me of a good old fistfight from Philly. Now, I get to do it in Chicago. I really enjoyed getting in the locker room and celebrating with my team-mates. Everyone is really excited about the victory."

Foles came into the game on the back of his difficult first start in a defeat at the Indianapolis Colts, having previously inspired a big comeback against the Atlanta Falcons after replacing Mitch Trubisky from the bench.

It was another mixed night against the Bucs, but head coach Matt Nagy felt the QB highlighted his "special traits" when he engineered two fourth-quarter drives which led to Cairo Santos field goals.

"All in all, the offense made plays when they had to and I think that's one of the special traits that I think Nick has – that is who he is," said Nagy. 

"The best part about all this that I'm super-excited with our players and our coaches is that we're 4-1, and we know we can play a lot better.

"We've been resilient with how we've come through in different situations. There's something special about this team. We find ways to win. It's not always pretty; we totally understand that. But this is a big win for us."

Khalil Mack had two sacks in a game for the first time since Week 3 of the 2019 season and had another chalked off for roughing the passer, with Brady visibly frustrated at times.

"I can't really say what he was going through," Mack said of Brady. "I just know that we smelled a little blood in the water."

Chicago prevailed as Buccaneers QB Brady appeared to lose track of what down it was during a failed final drive in the Week 5 contest.

Brady remained on the field thinking the Buccaneers had one more play, having signalled to officials following a fourth incomplete down after Chicago's Cairo Santos kicked a 38-yard field goal with just over a minute remaining.

The six-time Super Bowl champion did not have a fourth down to work with after DeAndre Houston-Carson broke up Brady's fourth-down pass with 33 seconds left on the clock.

It meant Nick Foles' team got the better of Brady again, after the Philadelphia Eagles upstaged the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

Brady was 25 of 41 for 253 yards and a touchdown as Tampa Bay's (3-2) three-game winning streak was snapped, while Chicago (4-1) bounced back from a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Bears quarterback Foles – the Super Bowl LII MVP for the Eagles – completed 30 of 42 passes for 243 yards and a touchdown in his second start since replacing Mitchell Trubisky.

The Buccaneers jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the second quarter – Mike Evans connecting with Brady for a two-yard pass in the opening period.

But the Bears quickly erased the deficit with just over a minute remaining in the first half as David Montgomery and Jimmy Graham scored touchdowns to put Chicago ahead.

Ryan Succop – who finished with four field goals – added three points in the third quarter to restore Tampa Bay's advantage and he converted a 25-yard attempt to give the Buccaneers a 19-17 lead with 4:49 remaining in the game.

But after Tampa Bay nose tackle Vita Vea was carted off the field, the Bears took over and held on in Chicago.

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Ryan led the Colts through the first seven games, but was demoted after the 19-10 defeat to the Tennessee Titans in October with the team 3-3-1.

Sam Ehlinger started in his place but lost both games before Ryan was given the nod for the 25-20 road victory over the Oakland Raiders in Week 10, the first game under new head coach Jeff Saturday after Frank Reich was fired.

Indianapolis have gone 0-4 since that win though, including a stunning 39-36 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday having led 33-0 at half-time.

The second-half collapse was the biggest in NFL history, with the Vikings scoring 29 unanswered points from 36-7 down to send the game to overtime, before Greg Joseph kicked a field goal to condemn the Colts to a dramatic loss.

That is likely to be Ryan's final game of the season and potentially his time in Indianapolis is over,

Foles won Super Bowl LII with the Philadelphia Eagles, toppling Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl MVP-winning performance.

He has played for the Colts' AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars since then as well as the Chicago Bears, and gets another chance to start at the age of 33.

With Indianapolis 4-9-1 and likely to be officially ruled out of playoff contention this weekend, Saturday believes the change at quarterback is necessary.

"It's never an easy decision," Saturday told reporters. "[I] think the world of Matt, he’s a pro’s pro.

"It's not been the season he expected, nor the Colts as a whole.

"[I] just didn't feel we made enough plays offensively. This is not all on Matt.

"Ultimately I feel like Nick will give us a better chance to go win these last three games."

Monday's setback saw Chicago's record worsen to 5-2 as they were limited to a season-low in points and had 279 total yards of offense. 

Quarterback Foles finished 28-of-40 for 261 yards and no touchdowns at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, throwing two interceptions and being sacked on four occasions. 

"This is where you test your culture," Foles said. 

"This is where you test the people you work with, whether it's the coaches or players. 

"Like, who are we going to be? Are we going to be in it together or are we going to go against each other? That's sort of the crossroads. 

"We're very fortunate to be 5-2. Everything's in front of us, season's not over. I think that's important, to remind every single person, not only in the locker room but out there. 

"We have to continue to work through this. Conversations are important and obviously implementing, so that's something the coaching staff and players, we have to continue to look at ourselves in the mirror and ultimately be there for one another and go through this thing like people that care about each other. 

"It's the toughest part of sports but I know someday when I'm done playing this game I'll look back and miss these moments in the sense of, wow, that's where those special relationships were made, and the tough times." 

Coach Matt Nagy expressed concerns about Chicago's capabilities running the ball. Their numbers this season are a far cry from what Nagy wants, and they were held to just 49 rushing yards by the Rams. 

Overall, they have rushed for 589 yards in seven games, compared to 839 by their opponents. 

That gives Chicago the lowest average rushing yards per game in the NFL - just 84.1 - paling against the 164.3 average achieved by the Baltimore Ravens, the leaders in that department. 

Nagy said: "It's not where I want to be. You've got to run the ball in this league. You've got to be able to run the ball. We're trying to figure out ways to do it and right now we gotta be better there, it starts with me. 

"I have to be able to rely on our other coaches that we have on the staff that I have a lot of belief in. And I'm talking all across the board, but in particular, offensively. 

"We're 5-2. We built this little cushion and now it's our job to be able to use it, and not lose it." 

Los Angeles claimed their first victory over a team with a winning record this season thanks to a solid defense and lethal offense at SoFi Stadium.

The Rams improved to 5-2 for the season as defensive tackle Aaron Donald pressurised Bears quarterback Nick Foles, whose Chicago (5-2) were held to a season-low 10 points and 279 total yards of offense.

Foles was intercepted twice and sacked four times – Jalen Ramsey, Taylor Rapp and Leonard Floyd flexing their muscles for the Rams.

Bears signal-caller Foles finished 28-of-40 for 261 yards and no touchdowns in Los Angeles, where Rams counterpart Jared Goff was 23-of-33 for 219 yards and two TDs without an interception.

The Rams fell to the San Francisco 49ers last time out but bounced back emphatically on home soil.

Goff found Josh Reynolds on a four-yard touchdown pass with less than four minutes remaining in the opening quarter and it was a lead the Rams never relinquished.

Chicago's Cairo Santos and Samuel Sloman traded field goals in the second quarter before the Rams pulled clear with two unanswered touchdowns in the third for a 24-3 advantage – Malcolm Brown setting the tone with a one-yard run before Gerald Everett caught a Goff pass during the closing stages of the period.

Eddie Jackson scored the Bears' only touchdown of the game at the 7:30 mark in the final quarter but it was too little too late for the visitors.

The Rams' Johnny Hekker became the only NFL punter in the last 30 years to punt five-plus times in a game and pin the opponent to their 10-yard line or inside on every occasion, per Stats Perform.

While the new league year is still in its infancy, most of the major players on the open market have found new homes or opted to stay put.

A string of blockbuster trades have also changed the landscape of the league.

Here we look at the winners and losers from free agency.

WINNER: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have been aggressive in addressing their needs in response to a disappointing 7-9 season in 2019, with the signing of Philip Rivers and the acquisition of DeForest Buckner in a trade from the San Francisco 49ers the headline moves.

Rivers comes across from the Los Angeles Chargers following 16 seasons with that franchise. He threw 591 times last season and was intercepted on 20 of those attempts.

A Colts running game led by the dynamic Marlon Mack that finished seventh in the NFL last year along with a bruising offensive line should ensure Rivers does not have to chance his arm as much in Indianapolis.

Rivers also has great familiarity with Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni from his time as the Chargers quarterback coach. The fit could hardly be better.

The Colts gave up a first-round pick (13th overall) to land defensive tackle Buckner and then pay him $21million a year. If he delivers the same kind of performances he produced for San Francisco – he had 28.5 sacks and 74 quarterback hits in four seasons for the 49ers – the Colts defense will be significantly improved in 2020.

LOSER: Houston Texans

The NFL universe is collectively still trying to wrap its head around the Texans' decision to trade DeAndre Hopkins, one of the league's premier receivers, and a late-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for just a second-round pick and running back David Johnson.

Hopkins' departure means quarterback Deshaun Watson loses his most reliable weapon in the passing game. Johnson's arrival hardly upgrades the running attack, as he was an afterthought for the Cardinals last year.

Houston also lost defensive tackle D.J. Reader, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, and overpaid for veteran wide receiver Randall Cobb, giving him a three-year deal worth $27m.

Head coach Bill O'Brien's presence as the de-facto general manager looks more ludicrous by the day.

WINNER: Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater's career appeared in jeopardy when he suffered a gruesome knee injury prior to the start of the 2016 season.

However, after making an emotional return to the field for the Minnesota Vikings, he has revived his career with the New Orleans Saints – going 5-0 during Drew Brees' spell on the sideline last season – and his comeback story reached his peak when he received a reported three-year, $63m deal from the Carolina Panthers to be their starting quarterback.

Expectations will be low with the Panthers in rebuild mode under Matt Rhule. Bridgewater, though, still has arguably the league's best running back in Christian McCaffrey and worked with Carolina offensive coordinator Joe Brady in his time in New Orleans.

Don't be surprised if he lives up to a deal some believed was too rich for the former first-round pick.

LOSER: Nick Foles

The author of the most remarkable comeback story in recent league history will get another chance to earn a starting job after a short-lived spell with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

However, in being dealt to the Chicago Bears, Foles is not landing in a situation where he can succeed.

The Bears took a step back on both sides of the ball last year and on offense Foles will find limited options at the offensive skill positions beyond Allen Robinson.

Chicago overpaid a declining tight end in Jimmy Graham who is unlikely to help the Bears improve their production on offense.

Even if he eventually takes the quarterback job from Mitchell Trubisky, Foles will have an uphill battle to guide the Bears to supremacy in a division also featuring Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins.

WINNER: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have not yet managed to reach a long-term deal with quarterback Dak Prescott, instead using the franchise tag on him, and lost cornerback Byron Jones, who signed with the Miami Dolphins.

Defensive tackle Maliek Collins and pass rusher Robert Quinn were further departures, but the Cowboys were able to sign wide receiver Amari Cooper to a lucrative five-year deal and replaced Collins with a superior player in Gerald McCoy. HaHa Clinton-Dix's signing gives the Cowboys a reliable starter at safety, too.

The Cowboys still have a strong roster with which to contend in the NFC, and they should be in the mix for years to come if they can eventually come to a more concrete arrangement with Prescott.

LOSER: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs' signing of Brady from the Patriots was unsurprisingly met with tremendous excitement from the Tampa Bay fanbase, while there have been reports of free agents showing desire to sign with them following the six-time Super Bowl-champion's arrival.

Yet it is debatable whether Brady will improve the Bucs' offense, which led the league in passing yardage with Jameis Winston at the helm but was undermined by the former first-overall pick's tendency to commit crushing turnovers.

The 42-year-old has the velocity to excel on the downfield throws that are a pivotal part of Bruce Arians' passing attack, but Brady lacks Winston's ability to escape pressure that helped mask the deficiencies of the Bucs' offensive line.

If Tampa Bay cannot improve up front, it could be a painful few years in Florida for Brady. For all the buzz around his signing, the Bucs would have been better served investing in a more mobile free-agent quarterback and looking to the draft for a long-term answer.

Brady is expected to be announced as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer after deciding to end his 20-season association with the Patriots.

However, his change of scenery is far from the only transaction affecting the NFL landscape. Here, we wrap up the significant moves reported to have been agreed as the new league year began on Wednesday.

Nick Foles, who got the better of Brady in Super Bowl LII, is reportedly headed to the Chicago Bears after the Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to trade him in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

The Jags are parting with Foles just a year after signing the former Philadelphia Eagle to a four-year, $88million contract. He will now provide competition for Mitchell Trubisky, whose role as the Bears' starter is under threat after a disappointing 2019.

Foles' departure allows Gardner Minshew to step in as the starter in Jacksonville. Sixth-round pick Minshew outplayed Foles, who was limited to four games because of injury, last year and will now get the chance to prove he is the Jaguars' franchise quarterback.

Brady's last game as a Patriot came in a playoff defeat to the Tennessee Titans, who made the surprising decision to deal defensive lineman Jurrell Casey to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a seventh-round pick. Casey has at least five sacks in each of the last seven seasons.

The Detroit Lions were also involved in the trade market, acquiring safety Duron Harmon from the Patriots. Detroit agreed to a two-year deal with defensive linemen Danny Shelton. Both players have a connection with Lions head coach Matt Patricia from his time as New England's defensive coordinator.

Another former Patriot, center Ted Karras, is staying in the division, signing a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins.

The New Orleans Saints are said to have agreed a deal to bring back safety Malcolm Jenkins after he was let go by the Eagles. Jenkins was drafted by the Saints in 2009 before leaving for the Eagles in 2014.

Their NFC South rivals the Carolina Panthers released safety Eric Reid, while the Atlanta Falcons inked edge rusher Dante Fowler to a three-year contract.

Leonard Floyd will fill the void Fowler's exit left for the Los Angeles Rams, who have re-signed guard Austin Blytheand veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth.

Elsewhere in the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks have brought back former first-round pick Bruce Irvin, the pass rusher who played a key role in their Super Bowl-winning 2013 season. Reigning NFC champions the San Francisco 49ers re-signed center Ben Garland to a one-year deal.

The Los Angeles Chargers may have missed out on Brady, but they have bolstered their defense with the signing of defensive tackle Linval Joseph. Cornerback Chris Harris also intends to sign with the Chargers.

Cornerback Eli Apple will play a part in the Raiders' first season in Las Vegas, while safety Sean Davis is headed to the Washington Redskins on a one-year deal.

Foles was carted off with just over 30 seconds to go in the Bears' ugly 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday after landing hard on his right hip while being taken down on a hit by defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo.

Bears coach Matt Nagy confirmed Tuesday that Foles is "day to day" with a hip and glute injury and added that it "isn't as bad as we once thought."

The injury appeared serious and Foles was "in a lot of pain" after Monday's brutal performance by the Bears. In losing their fourth straight game to fall to 5-5, Chicago finished with a season-worst 149 total yards while Foles was 15 of 26 for a season-low 106 yards with an interception.

At the moment, the Bears do not plan to put Foles on injured reserve and the veteran quarterback has some additional time to recover with a bye this weekend ahead of their Week 12 game at the Green Bay Packers.

Earlier this month, that Bears-Packers matchup at Lambeau Field looked like it would play a significant role in determining the NFC North winner, but that is no longer the case as Green Bay has opened up a two-game lead atop the division over the stumbling Bears.

There is also no guarantee Foles will start against the Packers as Nagy left the door open when asked if he would consider going back to Mitchell Trubisky.

"When you lose four in a row, everything's on the table," Nagy said.

Like Foles, Trubisky is also battling an injury. He was inactive for the Vikings game with a shoulder problem sustained in a Week 8 loss to the New Orleans Saints, though the Bears are hopeful both Foles and Trubisky will be healthy when they return from the bye.

Trubisky started the Bears' first three games of the season before being replaced by Foles in the second half of their Week 3 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons.

While Foles sparked the offense in Atlanta, he has not been able to replicate that magic since being named the starter.

Since Week 4, the Bears are 31st in both total offense (271.1 yards per game) and offensive touchdowns (nine) - beating out only the winless New York Jets in both categories.

The Bears' run game has been especially dreadful since Week 4, rushing for 368 yards - 129 fewer yards than the next-closest team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite playing one more game.

Chicago's 368 rushing yards since Week 4 is the franchise's lowest total in a seven-game span in a single season since 1950, and the longest run by Bear in the last two games was an 11-yarder by linebacker Barkevious Mingo on a fake punt against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9.

The Bears moved to 3-0 for the season on Sunday after a 30-26 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Foles was introduced for Mitchell Trubisky in the third quarter with the Falcons leading by 13 points and inspired a stunning comeback, throwing three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

Coach Matt Nagy confirmed to reporters that Foles will start against the Colts on October 4, saying: "He's our starter moving forward."

Speaking after the win over the Falcons, Trubisky accepted he had left Nagy with little choice but to bench him, having thrown an interception shortly before being pulled.

"The only thing I can control is me playing better when I have those reps in the first half, and I didn't do that," he said, as per the Chicago Sun-Times.

"So, I gave [Nagy] the opportunity to pull me. He did."

Nagy also confirmed Tarik Cohen will be placed on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the season after the running back tore the ACL in his right knee.

"You love the kid. He's worked hard to get to this point. We'll be in his corner and he'll be in our corner," he said.

Cohen, a fourth-round pick in 2017, signed a three-year contract extension worth $17.3million on September 20.

The Colts are in a perilous situation at quarterback after Reich confirmed Carson Wentz, whom they traded for in the offseason to be their starter, would undergo foot surgery and miss five to 12 weeks.

Wentz is therefore in danger of missing the opening two months of the 2021 season, leaving the Colts facing up to the prospect of starting Jacob Eason, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft, under center.

Reich was the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator when Wentz was in the MVP conversation in 2017 before he suffered a season-ending injury and was replaced by Foles, who spectacularly guided the Eagles to Super Bowl glory.

It was hoped the reunion between Reich and Wentz could revive the latter's career after his dismal final season with the Eagles but his injury has led to talk of the Colts bringing Foles, now the third-string quarterback with the Chicago Bears, into the mix.

Asked about that possibility, Foles told a media conference: "Frank Reich is one of my favourite if not favourite coaches of all time, he understands me as a player, he understands me as a person.

"I haven't had any talks with him. I'm a Chicago Bear right now. You all watched the 2017 season in the playoffs where he changed the offense and built it around me and y'all saw what happened, he understood my mentality as a player and he was able to build it around me and put me in a successful position.

"That being said they have Carson, and Carson and I have a lot of history. I have a lot of respect for Carson, he's a tremendous player, he's going through adversity once again but he'll bounce back. He might miss a few games but I know he'll be back out there, but we haven't had any talks.

"Right now I'm a Chicago Bear and I'm going to keep slinging it with these third-stringers and we're going to dice 'em up."

On talks with other teams, Foles added: "There was a couple of opportunities that came to me this offseason with a couple of teams but it wasn't the right time.

"It wasn't the right time or the situation with what was going on in my life. You don't just want to go somewhere to go somewhere, you want to go somewhere where you know the people somewhat or you know someone who knows the people that can vouch for the people so you can succeed.

"Listen, I feel great. The version of me right now is much better than the version of me that played in the Super Bowl, I'll tell you that and I'm confident in that, so put that through your mind, I know that.

"I know what this game's about, you have to have the whole package as a team, you have to have everyone in there. Top-down has to be great, if it's not great you're going to be mediocre. I've seen it and I've been a part of it, and unfortunately when you're a quarterback you've got to go through a lot of the baloney.

"That's part of it, that's why we play this position because at the end of the day there might be some kid that's watching this press conference and they say Nick Foles is a three quarterback and he's going out there and his mentality is to dice up that defense and help his team-mates and that's what I will continue to do until I lace up the cleats for the last time."

It was a tough night for Foles, who had a season-low 106 yards and was sacked twice, while there were 11 hits in total on the quarterback.

The Bears still had a chance of victory going into the final minute but Foles landed hard on his right hip after being hit by defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo and was taken away following medical treatment.

Providing an update on Foles, Nagy said: "When I got out there right away, I wasn't sure what it was.

"I didn't know if it was like his ribs or shoulder or what. And then, when I saw, the amount of pain that he was in on the ground. You know, I hope he's okay, but he was in a lot of pain and he's a tough dude.

"When you see that, you're down there with him, you feel for him just because you don't know how good or bad it is. So, that part's hard."

Foles completed 15 of 26 passes, threw for no touchdowns and was intercepted once as the Bears offence struggled again.

The Bears have some respite in the form of a bye week but Nagy said his starting QB is disappointed at potentially being unable to help the team out of its malaise.

"I know he's upset," Nagy said of Foles. "It's been frustrating, it's been hard and that's the part that's difficult through all of this because no one wants it more than him to be out there to fight with his team-mates.

"So, we'll keep an eye on that. This bye is coming at a good time for us. We're a little bit beat up right now, so we need to be able to get some guys back and get healthy."

The inexperienced Tyler Bray came on as back-up to Foles. His first pass earned a gain of 18 yards but a spike and three incompletions followed as the Bears fell short.

Bray entered the fray in part because Mitchell Trubisky remains out with a shoulder issue sustained in Week 8 and Nagy is unsure if the former first-round pick will return next time out.

"I don't know yet about Mitch. I think there's a possibility, but I don't know that for sure," he said.

"I think it's going to be day-by-day. I don't know if he knows that. So, we'll just keep an eye on that. Obviously with Nick's status, we'll have to see where that's at as we go."

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins had double cause for celebration after winning for the first time in Monday Night Football in his 10th career start in such games.

In total, Cousins completed 25 of 36 passes for 292 yards, threw for two touchdowns and was intercepted once.

"It's great to get a win," Cousins said.

"We'll try to keep building on it now, and it'll be so important to keep stringing these together if we can. That's really what the rest of the season will be all about."

Trubisky's comments on a conference call with reporters on Friday were his first since the Bears traded a fourth-round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for fellow quarterback Foles.

"I was kind of p****d off, in a good way. I've been motivated ever since,” Trubisky said. "It's a business decision. I'm all for the Bears getting better and winning games."

The Bears traded up one slot in the 2017 draft to select Trubisky second overall out of North Carolina, though he struggled in 12 games during his rookie season.

There was also regression last year in nearly every statistical category after a promising Pro Bowl campaign in 2018.

"I'm very confident about where I'm at right now and what I can do for this team," Trubisky said.

“I feel like I'm in a good mental space. I'm motivated and driven to do more than I did last year. I'm very locked into what I've got to do."

After a playoff appearance in 2018, Chicago squandered a 3-1 start last season to finish 8-8. The Bears' offense ranked 29th in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game.

"I've been motivated since our season ended last year. It didn't end the way we wanted it to, and we left a lot out there," Trubisky admitted. "It had to do with health and lack of details on offense.

"We need to get back to the playoffs. And we need to have a different mentality then we did last year. We let a lot of details slip and we didn’t play the way we should have been playing. We lost a lot of games we should have won."

While Bears coach Matt Nagy has yet to name a starting quarterback for Week 1, Trubisky's fourth campaign will be pivotal in terms of his NFL career. Chicago declined his fifth-year rookie contract option, making him a free agent at the end of this season.

"All I can do is control what I can control," he said. "That's go out and have a hell of a year with my team-mates."