It was made official as of Monday, that former Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitch Trubisky was named the new quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. To say the least, Steeler Nation had a mixed bag of emotions when it came to how they felt about the new signee. Trubisky, coming off a year where he sat behind young superstar Josh Allen, was now looking to find a new destination that would offer him a starting position again at quarterback for the 2022 season. Before heading to Buffalo, Trubisky started 50 games over the course of four seasons with the Bears. He had his best season in 2018 when he led the Bears to a 12-4 record and their first playoff appearance in eight seasons. After Trubisky's Pro Bowl season in 2018, things started to head south and he eventually lost his starting spot to Nick Foles. Trubisky now with a fresh start in Pittsburgh, will look to get back to his winning ways with the black and gold next season, but how will he become and upgrade over what we saw from Ben Roethlisberger in 2021?
Over the last few seasons, Steelers fans saw the aging Roethlisberger become less and less mobile. Along with his lack of mobility, his arm was naturally starting to diminish as well. Trubisky on the other hand, has superior mobility in the pocket and exceptional arm strength, so that alone will be an upgrade from what we all saw last year with Roethlisberger.
Statistically speaking, Trubisky will need to put up numbers that mirror his Pro Bowl season in 2018 with which ended with 24 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and over 3,200 yards passing. Those stats are comparable to what Roethlisberger put up in 2021. Roethlisberger ended last season with 22 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and over 3,700 yards passing. But, where Trubisky can be a threat over Roethlisberger is with his feet. In 2018, Trubisky ran for 421 yards and rushed for 3 touchdowns, which adds a significant threat to opposing defenses. The mobility of Trubisky will also be able to open up the play-action passing game, which had struggled mightily the last few seasons with Roethlisberger.
With the number of weapons the Steelers' offense has already, along with the added pieces to the offensive line so far in free agency, it is not crazy to think that Trubisky will be able to put up numbers comparable to his Pro Bowl season and be a significant upgrade to what we saw last year from the quarterback position. Steelers fans need to remember that Trubisky is a bridge quarterback and he is not intended to be the future of the franchise for many years to come. But, he does offer lots of mobility and a different skillset that this offense desperately needs.
What're your thoughts on Mitch Trubisky, Steeler Nation? Leave a comment in the comment section below!
