Mitch Trubisky says his benching 'felt like a blind side.' But Bears QB is embracing a new opportunity to start against Packers.

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky openly admitted Friday he didn’t have an easy time moving into the backup role after coach Matt Nagy benched him in late September.

Trubisky said he was “caught off guard” when Nagy turned to Nick Foles in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. Foles led a comeback victory and remained Nagy’s starter for the next seven games as Trubisky tried to come to grips with his new job.

“At the beginning of the season I was just starting to build some momentum, and then it kind of felt like a blind side, and then I had to embrace a new role,” Trubisky said. “The first couple days, it sucked being in that role, but I was trying to just continue to keep perspective and think long term. I want to play in this league a long time, and if I want to do that, there’s things that I just need to continue to get better at. At that point, I just changed my mindset to embrace practice.”

After months of running the scout team, Trubisky will have another shot at starting for at least one game Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Nagy made that official Friday after Foles missed his fourth practice this week with a hip injury.

The Bears classified Foles as doubtful for the game, but he will be on the bench in a backup role if he is OK to play. If Foles isn’t ready, Tyler Bray will back up Trubisky. Nagy wouldn’t commit to a starter beyond Sunday’s game, saying they’ll re-evaluate next week.

Outside of the Falcons game, the Bears offense hasn’t been significantly better with Foles at the helm. The Bears have scored 20 or more points just three times in seven games, and the offense has scored four total touchdowns during a four-game losing streak.

“As far as next week or the following weeks, it’s hard for me to predict that right now just because I think the fairest thing for both guys is to just worry and focus on Green Bay,” Nagy said. “And I mean that. … We really have to focus on Mitch as the starter for Green Bay and then who knows health-wise where Nick’s at and then where Mitch is at. We’ll play that course and (make) that decision next week when we get into that.”

Trubisky, who will become a free agent in the offseason because the Bears declined his fifth-year option in May, said he will embrace the opportunity to lead the Bears in an important rivalry game against the NFC North leaders.

The 5-5 Bears currently are the first team out of a postseason berth in the NFC playoff picture, and Trubisky said he thought the team attacked practice with a new mindset this week after their bye week.

“What means most to me is just having an opportunity to come back and be there for my guys when we just need to find a way to win, however that is,” Trubisky said.

Over 2 1/2 games as a starter this season, Trubisky completed 51 of 86 passes (59.3%) for 560 yards and six touchdowns. He was sacked seven times and threw three interceptions — the final pick his last pass as Bears starter.

Trubisky has played just one snap since — a 3-yard run against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 during which he injured his right shoulder. He said he was worried at first that the injury was serious, but his doctors told him that if he strengthened the shoulder enough he would be able to return this season. Trubisky said Friday he feels it is back to 100% with no soreness or pain.

“There was, I wouldn’t say anger, I would say more concern if anything,” Trubisky said of when he was injured. “Because anytime you have an injury, and especially for quarterbacks, it being your right shoulder, you start to think longer down the line. I have to be able to throw to do my job. And I can go out there and run around and catch the ball. But if I can’t throw, I can’t go out there and do my job for my team. So I was concerned about that.”

Nagy and other Bears coaches lauded Trubisky for how he handled his demotion in recent weeks, with Nagy emphasizing that he saw a different type of focus in the fourth-year quarterback.

Trubisky said he embraced operating the scout team against a tough Bears defense and found himself testing out throws in practice he wouldn’t normally as a starter. He also realized he needed to become more motivated in that role.

“When you’re not in the starter role, people aren’t paying attention to you as much,” Trubisky said. “They’re not catering to how they want you to get better or evolve, so there was a little bit where I felt like I was on my own. I was like, I’ve got to find ways to continue to push myself and get better. I actually thrive in an environment like that because it’s back to where you want to be, where you want to go, what you want to do with your career. I was just finding ways to push myself on my own whether it’s getting up earlier or doing more recovery work, working out more in the weight room or studying more film. Whatever it is, continuing to find ways to get better.”

This week, one of Trubisky’s focuses has been getting on the same page as offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, who will call plays for just the second time this season. Trubisky said he made sure to communicate his thoughts on the offensive plan.

“I just want to make sure that these coaches are hearing what I have to say,” Trubisky said, “and taking in to factor the input that I want to have in this offense coming back and just running things that I’m comfortable with and things that I feel like will have success this weekend. So it’s just getting on the same page with Coach Lazor. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with him.”

From a work-ethic standpoint, Lazor has liked what he has seen from Trubisky.

“For a guy who went from being a starter to backup and then obviously got injured, I’ve seen a guy who has never slowed down in his preparation,” Lazor said. “I do think there’s a determination in Mitch that I sense — for as much as I know him — a real determination to succeed. And I’m kind of fired up for him, if/when his opportunity comes. You are around a guy a lot, you’re working with him whether it be Zoom calls and then you’re finally in camp, you find yourself rooting for him.”

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