Steelers' Mike Tomlin Praises 2022 Mitch Trubisky Signing As Insurance Against "A Need To Do Something Stupid"

The Pittsburgh Steelers were at the end of an era after the 2021 season. Ben Roethlisberger was retiring and the only quarterback on the roster was Mason Rudolph. Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert, and Art Rooney II were facing life without a Hall of Fame signal-caller for the first time in 18 years. Nobody knew what the answer was and the only apparent thing is that the trio knew Rudolph was not the answer for the Steelers.

Roethlisberger welcomed Tomlin onto Episode 23 of the Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast. Tomlin and the future Hall of Fame quarterback bandied about several topics before Spencer T’eo finally asked the question about life after Roethlisberger near the end of the podcast:

“When Ben retires, you have a huge void that’s never been there before,” T’eo addressed Tomlin. “If Kenny [Pickett] doesn’t drop and you guys pick him up, what was the actual plan? Was it just to ride it out with Mitch [Trubisky]?”

The Steelers’ quarterback situation was a hot topic during the 2022 offseason. The organization came under heavy criticism for not having a succession plan in place for Roethlisberger. They were linked to several star quarterbacks and rumored to be in the mix for several blockbuster moves. Rumors swirled that Tomlin was not interested in developing a rookie quarterback and that the Steelers were a quarterback away from contention.

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It started when Aaron Rodgers and Tomlin were quoted about how much they admired each other. Social media and the actual media went into a frenzy about how Rodgers wanted to be a Steelers quarterback and what they should trade to get him. It may have just been a ploy by Rodgers to renegotiate his contract with the Green Bay Packers, but if any calls took place between the two teams, it was kept very quiet and the Steelers signing an old quarterback for 1-2 seasons was never a serious solution.

The Rodgers speculation led to a debate that dominated social media, should the Steelers trade for Deshaun Watson instead of Rodgers? The Watson speculation ended shortly after the price tag for getting the troubled young signal-caller emerged. The Steelers had just spent a decade with Roethlisberger dominating the Steelers’ salary cap and jumping back into the situation with no early draft picks for two to three seasons was not an attractive solution.

The Watson vs Rodgers debate led to a “compromise” solution that made the rounds with almost equal fervor, a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson. The perceived price tag for Wilson was seen as a cheaper option for a proven quarterback. When none of the three deals the Steelers could have had did not come to fruition, they were roasted on social media for not getting a proven quarterback.

“I think we acquired Mitch so that we would not feel a need to do something stupid or feel that type of angst,” Tomlin replied. “Mitch was a starter-capable guy, been a franchise guy, he was young with upside. Quality dude, it was important for us to do business with him on the front side of the draft so we wouldn’t feel the anxiety that you kind of outline.”

The Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky shortly after free agency opened in 2022. The signing immediately put to bed the Rodgers, Watson, and Wilson speculation. Many national media figures ridiculed the signing, but it put the Steelers into the exact position they hoped it would. The Steelers’ quarterback situation seemed settled. Most thought they had made a mistake, but it looked like they had settled on Roethlisberger’s successor.

The signing allowed them to be patient in the lead-up to the 2022 NFL Draft and the “weak” quarterback class allowed them to sit at pick 20 and select the actual successor to Roethlisberger, Kenny Pickett. There was the inevitable speculation that they only took Pickett because they had passed on Dan Marino so many years ago, but it worked. The Steelers look like they got their franchise guy and a highly capable backup in Trubisky.

After watching Rodgers, Watson, and Wilson’s crippling performances in 2022, the Steelers owe a serious debt to Trubisky. They didn’t panic and came out with the best long-term solution, a productive quarterback on a rookie deal.

What do you think, Steeler Nation? In retrospect, are you happy with how the Steelers quarterback hunt turned out? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.