The NFL can be a sad and desperate place. Just ask Steelers fans.

Steelers fans find themselves in a tough spot this morning.

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Pittsburgh Steelers fans had hopes this offseason that maybe, just maybe, they’d end up with Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback.

And if that couldn’t happen, maybe there would be a way that their team could trade with the Seahawks for Russell Wilson.

Either of those moves would have made life after Ben Roethlisberger really nice. The Steelers, who have a great coach and a very good defense, would instantly become contenders again and thoughts of a seventh Super Bowl would be totally realistic.

Well, those moves didn’t happen – Rodgers is sticking with the Packers and Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos.

This morning Steelers fans are stuck trying to talk themselves into believing in… Mitch Trubisky, the No. 2 pick in the 2017 who had a mediocre run with the Bears before backing up Josh Allen in Buffalo last season.

For real.

Trubisky and the Steelers agreed on a two-year deal yesterday and he’s expected to be the starter this upcoming season.

Yeah, that’s quite a drop off from the dream possibilities that were floating around just last week.

Trubisky could be OK for the Steelers. But OK doesn’t cut it in the NFL if you want to win Super Bowls, which Steelers fans have come to expect.

OK doesn’t cut it in the AFC where there are a ton of really good QBs that are leading a bunch of teams that could easily win the conference in 2022.

In the NFL if you don’t have a star QB then you are on the outside looking in when it comes to any discussions of dominance. Sure, a playoff berth can happen but you’ll likely be packing up your stuff for the offseason pretty quickly.

Steelers fans know this morning would feel a whole lot different if they had Rodgers or Wilson coming to town. Instead they have a guy who flamed out in Chicago and threw just eight passes in Buffalo last season.

That’s a tough pill to swallow if you’re a Pittsburgh fan and just another reminder that the NFL can be a cruel place with no promises that things will instantly get better.

Quick hits: Men’s Final Four picks and predictions… Brady already helping Bucs… Jaguars betting on Kirk… And more.

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

– Our FTW staff has made some picks for the men’s NCAA basketball tournament and the name Gonzaga comes up a lot.

– Tom Brady’s return has already helped out the Bucs in free agency.

– Speaking of free agency, the Jaguars are giving WR Christian Kirk A LOT of money, which seems like a very risky bet.

– Need some help with today’s Wordle? Charles Curtis has some hints… but also a spoiler at the bottom of his post, so be careful!

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