Mitchell Trubisky’s first 3 years in the NFL were summed up in one play

One play — one moment — can define a player’s career. Kellen Winslow Sr. can be summed up in one image; his teammates carrying him off the field after sacrificing his body in a 1981 playoff win over Miami. John Elway’s never-say-die attitude is embodied in one shot of his 37-year-old dad body helicoptering for a first down in Super Bowl XXXII.

Mitchell Trubisky, barring a significant adjustment to his career trajectory, may have had his moment on Thanksgiving. In true Trubisky form, it centered around making things as difficult as possible for himself.

Trubisky had a first down in his grasp facing third-and-four from the Lions’ 13-yard line with roughly 40 seconds left in the second quarter. Instead of crashing forward, the third-year quarterback ducked toward the sideline in a futile gasp to stop the clock. It failed spectacularly, and the Bears were forced to settle for a 30-yard field goal rather than a fresh set of downs and a goal-to-go situation.

When sideline reporter Erin Andrews asked Bears head coach Matt Nagy about the play, he was resigned to his frustration.

“We had a good look at it,” Nagy said he told his young passer.

The unfortunate thing is, this lapse marred what had been a pretty effective first half for Chicago’s embattled quarterback. He was a perfect 4-4 for 31 yards while leading the Bears to seven opening drive points. He finished the half with 168 passing yards, one touchdown pass, and a 100.3 passer rating. He came back from a brutal and uncalled shot to the head to convert a key third down in the midst of a 16-play drive (that, in true 2019 Bears fashion, ended with a declined penalty on fourth down and an ensuring turnover on downs).

Instead, Trubisky got out-played by a third-string opponent, got roasted by Troy Aikman, and got dragged for taking a sudden detour when a straight line was the right call. The Chicago quarterback has worked his ass off the past three years, but his NFL legacy may wind up being his ability to make things as hard on himself as possible.

If that’s the case, his decision to give up an easy first down in favor of moving laterally — and then backward — might be the most Trubisky play in NFL history.

Update: 4:09 pm ET Thanksgiving afternoon. Trubisky’s final stats:

29-38, 331 yards, three touchdown passes, one interception, a 118.1 passer rating. Trubisky led the fourth quarter drive that erased the Lions’ three-point lead and kept Chicago alive in the NFC playoff race with a mostly-excellent fourth quarter. But he also needed to overcome an interception in which he held on to the ball too long near the red zone to get there.

Sometimes he’s good enough to overcome the hurdles he throws in his own path. Sometimes he’s not.