Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers after three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The quarterback’s relationship with his coach, Mike Tomlin, is one of their most frequently cited reasons for signing him back in March. However, as a veteran player who has been on winning teams before coming to Pittsburgh, he might not bring much more than a ring or two and good memories.
The “pittsburgh steelers roster” is a major move for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has officially signed veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
The Mitchell Trubisky era has begun for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Trubisky, who is 28 years old and will play the full 2022 season, has signed a two-year agreement with the six-time Super Bowl winners. After spending last season with the Buffalo Bills as a backup to Josh Allen, the former North Carolina quarterback now has a chance to relaunch his career and become Ben Roethlisberger’s long-term replacement.
Should the Steelers have signed Trubisky, or would it have been better for the team to move in a different direction? Now seems like a good moment to take a look at the Black and Yellow’s latest investment.
Pros: Mitchell Trubisky still has the skill and potential to be a great quarterback in Pittsburgh’s scheme.
The criticism on Trubisky will always be how he performed in the 2017 NFL Draft before Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Despite this, he was named to the Pro Bowl after winning 11 of his 14 starts with the Chicago Bears in 2018, completing 66.6 percent of his throws for 3,223 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. In his age-24 season, he also carried for 421 yards and three touchdowns on 6.2 yards per carry.
If Trubisky can produce similar stats for the Steelers next season, the team has a good chance of making the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Let’s look at Trubisky for who he is, not who he isn’t, for the purpose of discussion. The North Carolina product was a skilled and athletic quarterback who could defeat opponents with his arm or his legs in his greatest moments with the Bears. He’s no Michael Vick or Lamar Jackson, but he won’t be required to play that position for the Steelers next season.
When he’s at his worst? Well…
Trubisky’s greatest chance of winning is to play the role of a good game manager. Najee Harris, a rookie who accumulated 1,667 yards from scrimmage (1,200 rushing and 467 receiving) on a league-high 381 touches last season, seems to be a franchise running back for the Steelers. So long as head coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t run Harris into the ground under Heinz Field, they look to have a franchise running back.
Is Mitchell Trubisky a top-tier quarterback? Certainly not. Is he a better-than-average starter? Nope. Is he capable of leading the Steelers to the playoffs? Yes, if all goes according to plan.
Cons: One has to question whether Nagy and the Bears have permanently harmed Trubisky.
During their time together, Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy (L) and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky had a rocky relationship | Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Trubisky’s final stats with the Bears didn’t seem to be bad at first sight. As a starter, he finished 29-21, completing 64% of his throws for 10,609 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions while also rushing for 1,057 yards and eight scores. What was the issue that needed to be resolved?
Matt Nagy, the former head coach of the Chicago Bears, is to blame.
To be fair to Nagy, we can’t overlook Trubisky’s proclivity for throwing crazy passes and misreading defenses. However, the coach-quarterback partnership, which started after the 2017 season, seemed like an arranged marriage from the start. Even after a strong second season, there was never any evidence that Nagy and the Bears felt comfortable assembling a team around Trubisky.
In his first season under Nagy, Trubisky helped Chicago win the NFC North, and he continued to perform well in 2019. Despite this, the Bears declined to take up his fifth-year option and benched him three games into the 2020 season. Why?
Despite Nagy’s distrust, Trubisky had a career-best 67.0 completion percentage, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in ten games. He would have racked up 3,288 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions if he had started all 16 games.
Again, those are the kinds of stats the Steelers should be anxious to see from Trubisky in 2022. Mike Tomlin, the head coach, will hopefully be more supportive of him than Nagy was during their three years together.
Should the Steelers have signed free agent Mitchell Trubisky?
QB Mitch Trubisky to the #Steelers…
Would expect a heavy run game/play-action influence + the motion/misdirection in Matt Canada’s offense. Defined reads/schemed windows. Still have concerns on Trubisky as a pocket thrower. Mechanics, eyes there. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/AsHCOOrFEz
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) March 14, 2022
The Steelers never seemed like a serious candidate for quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson. Trubisky is a one-year fix who didn’t sign a long-term deal and, if we’re being honest, isn’t going to be Roethlisberger’s long-term replacement.
To tell you the truth, there’s nothing wrong with that situation.
Trubisky is a capable experienced quarterback who fills the team’s requirement for a competent veteran quarterback in the near run. Nothing is keeping the Steelers from selecting a quarterback with the 20th overall selection and having that prospect, whether it’s Kenny Pickett of the University of Pittsburgh or Sam Howell of North Carolina, sit behind the former All-ACC honoree for a year.
If the Steelers are smart, they’ll utilize the 20th overall pick elsewhere and wait until the 52nd overall pick to see which quarterbacks are still available. Pittsburgh still has to fix its offensive line, and another young receiver in the draft may help.
The issue isn’t if Trubisky will be the Steelers’ starting quarterback in five years, but rather when. The issue is whether he’s talented enough to keep the six-time Super Bowl champs in postseason contention, and the answer, in our opinion, is yes.
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