Reporter clarifies Mitch Trubisky's expected role with the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Mitch Trubisky agreed to terms on a two-year deal on Monday (he can't officially sign until Wednesday). Trubisky was suddenly a hot commodity this offseason, despite throwing only eight passes for the Buffalo Bills in 2021. One reason is that the perception is that Trubisky was misused by former Chicago […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Mitch Trubisky agreed to terms on a two-year deal on Monday (he can't officially sign until Wednesday).
Trubisky was suddenly a hot commodity this offseason, despite throwing only eight passes for the Buffalo Bills in 2021.
One reason is that the perception is that Trubisky was misused by former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy (who is now the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterbacks coach).
Trubisky went 25-13 in his final three years as a starter in Chicago. The thought is that he'll be better than what we saw with the Bears now that he's away from Nagy.
At least that's what the Steelers are counting on.
According to NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, via her report on Monday on NFL Network, Trubisky is expected to be the Steelers' starting quarterback in 2022. That means there likely won't be an open quarterback competition between him and Mason Rudolph/Dwayne Haskins. Trubisky is being signed to be "the guy".
What's interesting about this situation is that Pittsburgh clearly doesn't view Trubisky, who is 27, as a long-term option (though I'm sure they'd be fine with him turning out to be a stud).
It seems more likely that the Steelers are planning to use Trubisky as a bridge quarterback. This deal gives them the flexibility to draft a quarterback this year or wait until next year if a decent option doesn't fall to them in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Ultimately, this feels like a smart, economical move by the Steelers. I think Trubisky is probably better than we give him credit for, but I don't think he's going to suddenly be Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, either. I'd say we're looking at a Ryan Tannehill-type ceiling for the former UNC quarterback.
Featured image via Jamie Germano / USA TODAY NETWORK
