In 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers were stuck in quarterback limbo. After the retirement of future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger, the anticipation for the organization was that they would select another signal-caller high in the upcoming NFL Draft. That player would be Kenny Pickett, who two seasons later would be traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Pickett, however, was not the only quarterback to be added to the room in 2022, but may be the reason that player's time in Pittsburgh was unproductive.
The Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky early in that offseason to a two-year contract. The former number two selection by the Chicago Bears in 2017 was coming off a rocky career in the Windy City and a backup stint with the Buffalo Bills before he came to Pittsburgh. Trubisky was given all the confidence in the world, and was named a team captain, as well as the Week 1 starter. Despite all of this, Trubisky was benched after four games for Pickett.
Much has been questioned about Trubisky's time in Pittsburgh, but Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette shined a light on Trubisky's struggles with the Steelers during his weekly chat on Wednesday.
"He was always looking over his shoulder from the time they drafted Pickett and the hysteria that surrounded the selection. Yanking him at halftime of game 4 only made the problem worse, especially when he didn't start the argument with Diontae Johnson."
Coming out of the University of Pittsburgh, Pickett was hailed as the newest franchise quarterback for the Steelers. On top of this, being a first round selection comes with the expectation of immediate impact on the team. Impact for a rookie player does not come from the bench.
Trubisky may have been the starter out of the gate for the team, but after a 1-2 start and early struggles in the first half against the New York Jets, Trubisky's time as the full-time starter was over. He was then relegated into a backup role where he remains now back in Buffalo.
Trubisky's Past Struggles Prior To The Steelers
Trubisky was viewed by many to have great potential at the NFL level. He shot up draft boards prior to the NFL Draft due to this reason, despite only starting one season at North Carolina. This pushed the Bears to make a massive draft day deal in which they traded up one spot to select him with the number two overall pick. Trubisky never elevated his play with the Bears, due to factors such as coaching and the talent around him. However, he would finish his time in Chicago with over 10,000 passing yards, a 64-37 touchdown to interception ratio, and a Pro Bowl nod in 2018.
After a brief stop with the Bills in 2021 to back up Josh Allen, there was hype around Trubisky again that the problems in Chicago were not Trubisky's fault, and that in the right system, he could be a franchise guy. That was the hope when he was brought into Pittsburgh in the offseason of 2022. Though he didn't have the best offensive line in front of him, Trubisky was still surrounded by arguably the most talent he ever had in his career during his time in Pittsburgh.
Trubisky struggled even more however, in the Steel City, posting an overall record of 2-5 in seven starts. He had a passing line of 1,884 yards, and a touchdown to interception ratio of 8-10. This resulted in his release back in February of 2024. It seems as though at this point in his career, he will be no more than a backup at the pro level, as he heads back to Buffalo now to sit behind Allen yet again. This now puts the focus on his replacement in Justin Fields, who follows an eerily similar path to Trubisky. A rocky start in Chicago, and now a chance of redemption in Pittsburgh. It's not likely the Steelers will make the same mistake twice, but it ultimately comes down to Fields to prove that he won't be a career backup outside of Chicago too.
