The Steelers are “finishing out an overtime” with backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, GM Omar Khan said Thursday on the Pat McAfee show. Here’s what you need to know:
- Khan said the deal “will be finalized here shortly” and that Trubisky feels good about the role he’s playing.
- Trubisky started five games for the Steelers in 2022 and finished the year with 1,252 passing yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions.
- The Steelers had already signed longtime substitute Mason Rudolph.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Why is Trubisky the right backup QB for the Steelers?
In many ways, Trubisky is the perfect backup quarterback for the Steelers’ current situation.
He brings 64 games of NFL experience (including 55 as a starter). He has staged five comebacks and eight game-winning successes. And he’s appeared in three playoff games. Few teams in the league will have a substitute with such significant playing time on their resume. The Steelers should be confident that should starting quarterback Kenny Pickett be injured, Trubisky will be perfectly capable of handling a run-heavy offense the same way he did in Pittsburgh’s Dec. 18 away win in Carolina.
That veteran presence should also come in handy when Trubisky wears a baseball cap on the sidelines. With Pickett entering his sophomore year, the Steelers’ cap is directly tied to how big of a leap he makes in 2023. There’s definitely value in having an experienced backup quarterback to help with game prep or to pass on little bits of information when a team has a young signal caller.
“I think any young quarterback would tell you that having that veteran presence around you is tremendous, especially when you have a guy like Mitch who handles things so well,” Khan said at the combine.
It’s also worth noting that Pickett missed two games last season due to head injuries. Given his mobile playstyle, it’s prudent for the Steelers to have an experienced backup in case of another injury. – DeFabo
What does this mean for the cap?
The only real reason I didn’t like Trubisky as a backup quarterback was his cap hit. Before extending the quarterback, Trubisky should count $10,625,000 towards the cap. That’s an entry-dollar number that ranks 15th in the league, just between Joe Burrow and Geno Smith.
Although the financial details are not yet known, it is clear that the cap is likely to be much more in line with most backups. That makes it a much cheaper insurance policy than Pickett. It could also set the stage for the next step: an Alex Highsmith expansion. – DeFabo
What about Rudolph?
Trubisky’s extension comes just days after the Steelers agreed to bring back third-street quarterback Rudolph. The Steelers now have a well-rounded quarterback space full of quality depth. While the Steelers plan to keep all three on the roster, the depth of this group of positions opens all the doors in case another team is desperate for a signalman due to a preseason injury. I’m not saying they would. But it leaves all options open. – DeFabo
backstory
Trubisky signed with the Steelers in 2022 after spending a season as a backup at Buffalo.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft played his first four seasons with the Chicago Bears, where he went 29-21 in his 50 starts for the franchise.
He opened the 2022 season as the Steelers’ starter before being replaced after four games by Pickett, the 2022 first-round pick.
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(Photo: Charles LeClaire / USA Today)