NFL Rumors: Is Mitch Trubisky Enough To Move The Needle In Pittsburgh?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for a new lease on life under center after longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger decided to retire.

The franchise has chosen to bring in Mitch Trubisky to replace Roethlisberger.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo revealed the news via social media with Trubisky “expected” to become the starter over current Steelers backup Mason Rudolph.

During the 2017 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears risked it all in getting Trubisky by moving up from third overall to second by trading two third-rounders and a fourth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers in the hopes of finding a replacement for Jay Cutler.

Trubisky would find his footing in the league a season later as the Bears achieved a record of 11-3 with him putting up 3,223 yards through the air which was good for 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

In 2018, the Bears came just a point shy of defeating the eventual Super Bowl LII winners Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card

There was hope that Trubisky would be able to sustain his level of play similar to fellow 2017 quarterback draftees Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, but it would turn out to be wishful thinking.

Trubisky failed to live up to expectations and came crashing back to earth the following season, with the organization deciding not to pick up his fifth-year option.

Trubisky would then sign a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills worth $2.5 million in March 2021 to become the backup to Josh Allen since no one offered him a starting gig at the time.

Now in Pittsburgh, Steelers fans are hoping that Trubisky will get to show off some of the things that he had learned in his stint with the Bills as they look to move on from Roethlisberger.

Trubisky immediately offers the Steelers a more capable and ready quarterback over Rudolph, who has a much lower floor talent going into the season.

NFL fans are very much aware of Trubisky's shortcomings in passing the ball down the field and inconsistencies, but there is a reason why he became a cult hero in Chicago despite the organization failing to give him the right tools and coaching to succeed.

The talent is certainly there and being under the guidance of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin could just unlock the potential that Trubisky has been carrying in the past five seasons.

Signing Trubisky is not a sure sign that the Steelers will shy away from targeting a quarterback in the upcoming draft, but there are little to no high-caliber quarterbacks available this year.

Other than the quarterback position, the Steelers are in need of upgrading their offensive line to help protect the play-caller and also on the defensive line.

Right guard Trai Turner is unlikely to return for next season, and their lack of depth at the position could have them draft a guard or a center to complement Kendrick Green’s acumen for both positions.

The Steelers have a lot of needs to sort out this offseason, but having Trubisky as the main quarterback solves that issue which allows the front office to work on other points of concern.