Category: Mitch Trubisky

QB Mitch Trubisky opens up about ‘breakup’ with Steelers

Mitch Trubisky, the first of two starting QBs released from Pittsburgh, talked about his departure from the Steelers.

Mitch Trubisky, the first of two starting quarterbacks recently jettisoned from Pittsburgh, recently opened up about his “breakup” with the Steelers.

As is typical with NFL players, it seems Trubisky initially heard through the grapevine — not directly from the Steelers — that the team was looking to move on.

“There were rumblings that they were going to do it,” Trubisky said in a Buffalo Bills press conference on March 7. “In my mindset, if it’s going to happen, it’s probably more beneficial to do it sooner rather than later… it was beneficial for both sides in the end.”

The Steelers respected Trubisky enough to release him ahead of free agency so he could get the process of speaking with other teams rolling.

It wasn’t long before Trubisky returned to Buffalo — where he was once Josh Allen’s backup for a season before landing with the Steelers — and signed a two-year, $5.25 million contract. When Pittsburgh signed him in March 2022, it was on a deal nearly three times the value, at $14.28 million.

“I was thankful the Steelers released earlier than free agency actually started,” said Trubisky. “My agent was able to start talking to some teams. I took a very relaxed approach. I just had a feeling that I would end up exactly where I was supposed to be… It felt like coming home in the end.”

Trubisky had some preferred teams in mind, but rejoining Allen and the Bills was a “no-brainer.” He and the two-time Pro Bowler had kept in touch during his two seasons with the Steelers.

While his time in Pittsburgh wasn’t successful from a career standpoint, Trubisky learned a lot about himself and what he needs from a team.

“I definitely had some ups and downs in Pittsburgh. I learned a lot more about what not to do and things I don’t like necessarily. Just being able to voice those opinions and have those opinions be heard, I think, is important.”

Trubisky intimated that his voice wasn’t heard in Pittsburgh. Maybe he should’ve spoken a little louder.

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Ex-Steelers QB Mitch Trubisky lands back in Buffalo

Mitch Trubisky, the once-starting quarterback the Steelers released in February, has found a new team.

Mitch Trubisky, the once-starting quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers released in February, has found a new team. Well, a new-old team.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Buffalo Bills have agreed to terms with Trubisky.

Trubisky’s acquisition is much like his first time around with the club. Buffalo signed him as a free agent in March 2021 where he backed up Josh Allen and appeared in six games.

His release saved the Steelers $3 million in salary cap space but left them with only one quarterback on the roster in Kenny Pickett.

Pittsburgh now has to sign three more quarterbacks before the start of organized team activities (OTAs) in May.

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5 things QB Mitch Trubisky’s release means for the Steelers

Things that Mitch Trubisky’s release does and could signal for the Steelers.

The Mitch Trubisky experiment in Pittsburgh was a complete and utter failure. One of the final quarterback-related moves made by the previous administration — general manager Kevin Colbert — is now in the past. As the team looks to its future, here are five things that Trubisky’s release does and could signal for the franchise.

Steelers fans react to news of QB Mitch Trubisky’s release

Mitch Trubisky’s time with the Steelers wasn’t great.

Less than 24 hours after the Super Bowl, the Pittsburgh Steelers went to work, releasing three players including quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Trubisky has been much maligned during his tenure in Pittsburgh and as you can see by the tweets below, he will not be missed in the Steel City.

Steelers release QB Mitch Trubisky

The Mitch Trubisky experiment is over in Pittsburgh.

The Mitch Trubisky experiment has run its course in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have released the 2017 second overall NFL draft pick, who appeared in 12 games after signing with the Pittsburgh as a free agent in 2022.

Trubisky, who will turn 30 in August, was set to earn $4.25 million next season. With bonuses, the cap hit would’ve been $7.556 million, or 3.1 percent of the team’s limit.

In seven starts, Trubisky had a 2-5 record. He threw for 1,884 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

With the Trubisky era coming to an end, the Steelers are now tasked with finding a replacement to back up Kenny Pickett or take over the reins while Pickett develops in a reserve role.

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Pittsburgh Steelers have potential out with QB Mitch Trubisky

Keeping Mitch Trubisky after the 2023 season would just be carrying dead weight.

Appearances can be deceiving. Heading into the 2023 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to have a solid quarterback room. None of their three quarterbacks were going to win MVP or even be elected to the Pro Bowl, but they were good. The staff had the utmost confidence in Kenny Pickett, and if something happened to him, things could be worse than Mitch Trubisky in a pinch. Even Mason Rudolph had experience and could do the job if disaster struck.

Fast forward 15 games, and none of the above could be further from the truth. Pickett can’t stay healthy for an entire season, and when he is in the game, the offense can’t score touchdowns. Trubisky has shown he’s no better. Rudolph wasn’t given a fair shake, having zero first-team reps, but completing two of three passes for three yards and getting sacked in the process doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for a potential start on Saturday.

Except for Pickett, everyone must go in the offseason. Trubisky nor Rudolph will challenge the former first-round pick enough to light a fire under his ass. The Steelers need to head back to the drawing board and go younger, not older. Pittsburgh missed its opportunity to bring in a truly tested veteran who could play well enough to hold onto the starting job while mentoring Pickett for a season. The unfortunate lesson was learned early: Trubisky wasn’t HIM.

According to Over the Cap, the Steelers have a potential out with the former second-overall draft pick after this season. Keeping him means $7.556 million against the cap in 2024, including a $1 million roster bonus due in March. Cutting the seven-year veteran puts $4.613 million dead money on the books but offers a cap savings of $2.943 million.

2025 would leave the Steelers with a better financial situation — $2.306 million dead money, $6 million cap savings — but no one wants to see a repeat of 2023.

Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan should cut Trubisky (Rudolph’s contract expires after this season), draft a quarterback and sign a college free agent or, at worst, a veteran who’s proven he can win.

Unfortunately, Trubisky will probably be back because cutting him would be admitting they were wrong. And we know Tomlin doesn’t like to be wrong.

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Steelers QB Mitch Trubisky commended for fighting through Patriots debacle

Mitch Trubisky played through boo-birds and chants for his backup, Mason Rudolph.

Mitch Trubisky took it in the teeth last Thursday, both from the New England Patriots and the crowd of Steelers faithful at Acrisure Stadium.

But he continued to play on, even if it wasn’t good. Though he stumbled, he didn’t crumble — through getting booed and hearing chants for your backup.

“That dude fought through. They were booing him and chanting Mason Rudolph,” former Steelers running back Merril Hoge said on the DVE Morning Show on Wednesday.

Though he didn’t persevere, Hoge respects Trubisky’s attitude.

“The way he played and fought through that. I have enormous respect for him. I do. He showed me something from a character perspective and a mental perspective that I was like, I mean, a lot of people in that position would’ve crumbled.”

Even for the interception, Hoge doesn’t blame Trubisky but targeted tight end Pat Freiermuth.

“The pick that Trubisky threw … Freiermuth makes a move and just quits. He’s supposed to break it inside and he just quits. … He stopped and backpedaled. I’ve never seen a route like that. And there would be no reason to do that based on the coverage that they were playing. He should have been where the ball was. I’m just telling you that.”

Hoge said he didn’t like Trubisky as a first-round draft pick, stating that nothing would tell any team that he was that caliber of a quarterback. “If you studied him in college, he has the exact same things today that he had in college, and they’ve never changed, they’ve only gotten worse, they’ve been magnified.”

Still, Hoge credited his leadership skills for not throwing Freiermuth under the bus. “His job is to throw it, and when you lose, it is about you. It’s not about other people. And he followed that model perfectly, but the way he played throughout that game, I was like, that kid deserves a lot of credit because he was getting, I mean, beat up.”

Trubisky needs to play strong and sound football and use that teeth-kicking as fuel against the Indianapolis Colts. Because if he doesn’t, the Steelers are in even more trouble as the 2023 regular season winds down.

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Steelers vs. Colts: ‘Reasonable’ for Mitch Trubisky to improve in Week 15

Mitch Trubisky got a bit of a raw deal in preparation for the Patriots.

Mitch Trubisky got a bit of a raw deal in preparation for the New England Patriots. As teams that play Thursday night games do, the Pittsburgh Steelers had to cram a week’s worth of work into three days — making a normally difficult quarterback transition even more challenging.

But on the other side of short weeks are long weeks, and Mike Tomlin has high expectations for the former first-round pick, given the mini-bye Pittsburgh has.

Barring a total disaster — perhaps a repeat of his Week 14 performance — the Steelers offense is expected to run through Trubisky until Kenny Pickett‘s anticipated return for the regular season finale versus the Ravens in Baltimore on Jan. 7.

“[It’s] a reasonable expectation for him to be even better because of that [Week 14] experience and because of the experience of having a full week’s prep this week in preparation for the performance in-helmet reps and full-speed reps,” Tomlin said in Monday’s press conference.

Tomlin acknowledged there’s work to be done on the offensive side of the ball but believes Trubisky “picked up his play as the game wore on” versus New England.

Trubisky completed 63 percent of his passes for 190 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

A switch to Mason Rudolph was never a consideration for Tomlin, and it doesn’t sound like it will be going forward, either.

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Steelers crowd chanting for QB Mason Rudolph

The fans at Acrisure Stadium have seen enough of Mitch Trubisky.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky promised he’d be aggressive on Thursday night against the New England Patriots and that the team needed to score more points. So far, Trubisky’s performance has done nothing to impress anyone, especially not the crowd at Acrisure Stadium.

Trubisky has already thrown one interception, had another where he was bailed out by a penalty and nearly threw two more interceptions. The crowd has booed him consistently since the first drive and after the first interception, the chants for backup quarterback Mason Rudolph have begun and re-emerge each poor decision Trubisky makes.

The Steelers team looks completely out of sorts as they trail the 2-10 Patriots 14-3 with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.

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How Steelers QB Mitch Trubisky’s ‘aggressive’ approach could pay off vs. Patriots

The Steelers aren’t an aggressive offense, but Mitch Trubisky plans to change that.

Points are something the Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled to score this season, but Mitch Trubisky hopes to change that tonight.

“I’m going to be aggressive,” Trubisky said on Wednesday. “I’m going to take care of the football, and we’ve got to play better as an offense. We’re going against a good defense this week that is well-coached. So, we’ve got to do our job and execute. We want to be an aggressive offense. So whatever that means, taking care of football, we got to find ways to score points. That’s the bottom line.”

While he aims to be more assertive than Kenny Pickett, it could lead to interceptions, something Pickett has not done this season. But since Pickett’s approach hasn’t led to points, Trubisky could be onto something — if his plan doesn’t result in turnovers.

The Patriots have a defense ranked eighth overall, but they’ve gotten there by stuffing the run. New England’s 16th-ranked defense has surrendered 216 yards and 13 touchdowns through the air and has the (tied) third-fewest interceptions with six.

We’ll see if an aggressive approach — something the Steelers have only attempted on opening drives in recent weeks — will be successful enough to squeak out a win.

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