There was a lot of surprise when the Chicago Bears selected former UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky second overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Trubisky had a phenomenal junior season at Carolina, throwing for 3,748 yards, 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions. A lot of Tar Heel Nation expected him to declare for the NFL Draft, which he did, but my thought is that one good season does not define you.
The Bears could’ve had future Hall of Famer Patrick Mahomes, or current Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, but they opted for the former Ohio Mr. Football award-winnder.
Since being drafted by Chicago, Trubisky has bounced around the Northeast a little bit. He spent one season as a Buffalo Bill, before landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Trubisky was originally named the starter to open 2022, but ended up being benched in favor of then-rookie Kenny Pickett.
With Pickett suffering a high ankle sprain last weekend, Pittsburgh was forced to thrust Trubisky into action Thursday night against the New England Patriots. These aren’t the same Tom Brady-led Patriots, but a team that entered last night’s matchup with just two wins.
Trubisky started off the game rough, but played decent for someone being thrust into starting action. He completed 22-of-35 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown, threw one interception, but also ran eight times for 30 yards and another score in the Steelers’ 21-18 loss.
For someone who hasn’t been a full-time starter since early in the 2022-2023 campaign, I’d call Trubisky’s performance respectable. It’s not the type of outing a playoff hopeful wants to see against the AFC East’s cellar, but one that could encourage Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin to start him again next weekend.
Who knows – maybe Trubisky will go on a hot streak and supplant Pickett as future starter?
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.