Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, Omar Khan has a decision to make with the team's quarterback situation. With Kenny Pickett locked in as the 2023 starter, Mitch Trubisky's fate on the team is up in the air. Set to incur a cap hit of over $10 million in 2023, he could very well become a cap casualty. Cutting him would save the team a decent amount of money, which would help the team quite a bit. At the moment, the Steelers have a minimal amount of cap space heading into the off-season.
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If they do indeed cut Trubisky though, they will quickly have to shift their attention to finding a new backup. They could find a veteran that's similar to Trubisky's level of play, such as Jacoby Brissett or Andy Dalton. The team could also select a signal-caller late in the 2023 NFL Draft. A new potential option popped up this past weekend on Sunday though, as the XFL officially kicked off its season.
Several former Steelers are featured around the league, which hopes to become a breeding ground for getting guys (back) into the NFL. Ben DiNucci is the perfect example, who is the starting quarterback for the Seattle Dragons. Despite the Dragons' loss, he went 35-for-54 for 282 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. His lone touchdown was quite memorable, a Patrick Mahomes-esque pitch to former NFL star, Josh Gordon.
Ben DiNucci with the Mahomes-esque flip to Josh Gordon for a TD in the XFL.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 20, 2023
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Photo Credit: Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
XFL quarterback Ben DiNucci played three years at the University of Pittsburgh, including one year with now Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett.
His XFL appearance could lead to another chance in the NFL, and the Steelers could make some sense as a possible fit. As pointed out by Bob Pompeani of KDKA TV, connections are already there, something the organization always prides itself on. DiNucci played his high school football at Pine-Richland in north Pittsburgh. From there, he spent three years with the University of Pittsburgh, where he was in the QB room with Pickett. Following a disappointing 2017 campaign, DiNucci went and played at James Madison University, where he was able to perform quite well.
That success led to him being selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. DiNucci appeared in three games in 2020, including making one start. He didn't exactly do well, as he was 23-for-43 (53.5%) for 219 yards and no touchdowns. DiNucci hasn't appeared in an NFL game since, as NFL.com rated him as the worst quarterback to start a game in the 2020 season. 59th out of 59 quarterbacks.
Now this isn't at all to say that the Steelers should sign DiNucci and confidently ride with him as their QB No. 2 heading into 2023. This isn't to say that he's the solution if the team gets rid of Trubisky. He's simply a guy to keep an eye on moving forward, as he could come in and be an additional training camp arm even. With some competition, he could fight for a roster spot as the team's second or third-string quarterback in 2023, behind Pickett. The connections are there, which is a start to DiNucci making his way back to the NFL.
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If the team cuts ties with Trubisky, who do you want to see them sign/draft? What would be your thoughts on bringing in DiNucci as another arm? Will you be regularly tuning into the XFL this spring? Share your thoughts on the team's backup QB situation in the comments below, yinz!
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