Bears' Howard: More people listening to Trubisky ahead of Year 2

After beginning his rookie season on the bench last year, Mitchell Trubisky heads into his sophomore campaign as the undisputed starter on the Chicago Bears.

That job security brings added confidence to any player, and Trubisky's teammates have noticed a positive change in the former North Carolina standout's demeanor.

"He asserted himself last year, but I definitely feel like a lot more people are listening to him," said running back Jordan Howard. "He has a lot greater command of the locker room ... because he's the quarterback for sure now."

The Bears have made a significant investment in their offense to aid Trubisky, hiring former quarterback Matt Nagy as their head coach, and Mark Helfrich as their offensive coordinator. The NFC North club has also beefed up its receiving weapons on offense with the additions of Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Trey Burton, and Anthony Miller.

Despite a number of injuries to his receiving core last season, Trubisky steadily improved throughout the year, finishing with 2,193 yards passing and seven touchdowns.