Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky recently opened up about why he shouldn’t have signed with the Steelers on the very first day of NFL free agency last March.
The former No. 2 overall pick vented his frustrations with the situation in Pittsburgh, including how he felt he lost his starting job too quickly when things didn’t start off as planned. Trubisky believes he made a mistake by not taking more time to explore the best options for 2022 after a season as Josh Allen’s backup in Buffalo.
Does Mitch Trubisky Regret Going To Pittsburgh
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Brook Pryor, Trubisky explained what he meant by his comments.
“Everything happened kind of quick,” Trubisky told ESPN recently. “I didn’t really have a long time to think of the decision. I wish I would’ve taken some more time and not just signed the first day of free agency. Looking back on it, just try to do some more research. But I felt like they were interested. I felt like it was a good opportunity to get back on the field, but nothing’s guaranteed.”
What Trubisky said about getting back on the field is a valid assumption, but with the Steelers taking Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick of the first round, the writing was on the wall. You don’t draft QBs in the first round to have them sit, and with Trubisky already not panning out in Chicago (who moved up to take him second overall in the 2017 draft), the belief around the league is he’s not much more than a solid backup at this point.
Mitch Trubisky says he regrets signing so quickly with the #Steelers in free agency, per @espn pic.twitter.com/MZXVqQvxzy
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) January 8, 2023
Steelers Struggled With Trubisky Under Center
The Steelers began the 2022 season with uncertainty at the QB position for the first time since 2004. That’s when then head coach Bill Cowher and Steelers brass gambled on a raw prospect named Ben Roethlisberger out of Miami (Ohio).
All he did was come in and immediately lead the team to a 14-win season and one game short of the Super Bowl. He’d go onto win two Super Bowls, leading the team to three, solidifying himself as a soon-to-be Hall of Famer. So for Tomlin, adding Trubisky was never about him being the guy long-term but more a stopgap for Pickett, who was drafted to be the franchise QB.
How Many Non-Losing Seasons In a Row For Mike Tomlin?
And based on Pickett going 7-5 and nearly leading the team to the playoffs after a slow start, Tomlin made the correct switch. The late-season push also secured Tomlin’s 16th consecutive non-losing season to begin a career, further adding to his league record. Once he secured a huge last-second, Week 17 win at archnemesis Baltimore, the Steelers QB job was his going forward.
https://twitter.com/dyl_white03/status/1611794869340585984?s=46&t=HAFhMS47u7EI39nMozcwgQ
Trubisky Will Be Forever Linked To Patrick Mahomes And Deshaun Watson
Trubisky’s career forever be compared to signal-callers Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, both of whom were taken after Trubisky in that 2017 draft. All they’ve done is put together glowing résumés, while Trubisky is now relegated to backup and journeyman. It’s not all his fault, as the Bears had no business drafting him that high and definitely had no business moving up to take him.
This isn’t to say he can’t play; the Bears just misjudged his potential, and because of that the expectations were much higher than they should be for someone of his talent level.
Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Year 1 A.R. (after Roethlisberger) for the Steelers at quarterback https://t.co/qqrlagfen5
— Steelers Network (@SteelersNetwork) January 7, 2023
In the end, based on his recent comments, the expectancy is he won’t be back in Pittsburgh. He will catch on with a team that needs a veteran backup.
