Mike Tomlin explains why the Steelers decided to sign Mitch Trubisky
From Ben Roethlisberger to Mitch Trubisky? That's the question the Steelers and their fans have been asking themselves ever since Pittsburgh signed Trubisky a couple of weeks ago. Trubisky's deal is nowhere near starter-level money for quarterbacks, however, it's more than your typical backup quarterback makes. He's also the best quarterback on the current roster. […]
From Ben Roethlisberger to Mitch Trubisky?
That's the question the Steelers and their fans have been asking themselves ever since Pittsburgh signed Trubisky a couple of weeks ago. Trubisky's deal is nowhere near starter-level money for quarterbacks, however, it's more than your typical backup quarterback makes. He's also the best quarterback on the current roster.
Therefore, the possibility of Trubisky as the Steelers' starting quarterback will continue to grow unless the Steelers spend a high draft pick on the position come April.
There's a lot to like when it comes to Trubisky's physical skillset. His overall body of work is a different story, though. The one thing that saves Trubisky in that regard is the fact Matt Nagy is included in that body of overall work. Nagy showed in 2021 that he's more of a detriment than he is an actual help to quarterbacks as head coach. So, it's tough to tell really how much Nagy held Trubisky back.
That's what the Steelers will have to figure out over the coming months. Initially, they like what Trubisky has to offer. That physical skillset and Trubisky's general upside is one of the many reasons why Tomlin and the Steelers brought him on board.
"We really were attracted to his upside," Tomlin said Monday. "He is young and experienced. He's won to be quite honest with you. He's probably won more than anybody else that was in the field. He didn't cost us any draft capital. It allowed us to maintain all our picks, and you guys know how we feel about building our team through the draft. There's a lot of things about him that was attractive to us."
Trubisky is 29-21 as a starter in the NFL and has two playoff appearances under his belt. He may not be the franchise-changing quarterback the Bears envisioned when they took him No. 2 overall in the 2018 draft, but Trubisky has shown he can help lead a team to success when he as a good team around him.
And right now, it looks like Pittsburgh will field a solid roster in 2021. The Steelers have had a very strong free agency period thus far and are returning several starters from injury, which only bodes well for Trubisky. Especially when considering the Steelers still managed to win nine games and make the playoffs with an aged Roethlisberger and banged up roster in 2021.
Things will obviously change if the Steelers take a quarterback in the first round of the draft. But for now, it's clear the Steelers have Trubisky in their future plans and they're comfortable with him moving forward.
Featured image via Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
