The Chicago Bears unexpectedly reached the playoffs a season ago while the play of both quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the team's entire defense attributed to such success. If you ask Trubisky, it may have been a case of iron sharpening iron — or something like that.

“It’s just a challenge every single day,” Trubisky recently said of taking on the Bears defense at practice every day, via USA TODAY Sports. “You’ve got to embrace that as a competitor. And we’re just pushing each other on both sides of the ball.

“We know our defense is going to get us on some plays, but as an offense if they stop us — or they have a positive play on defense — it’s got to be a next-play mentality. Because we know we can bounce them or get them the next play.

“Or if it’s a drill — they get us one drill, and that happens, drill behind, they won that one, let’s go and get them the next time.”

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However, it won't be easy for Trubisky, and the Bears in 2019 as the NFC North division remains one of the tougher groups in football. In addition to the upstart Bears, the NFC North also features the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, all of which could serve as legitimate threats come next season.

Even so, with a defense like the Bears have, it is hard to count Chicago out this early in the summer. Not only that, but Trubisky will surely be even better in his third year atop the highest level.