Some of us may have believed in the Pittsburgh Steelers to be uncharacteristic and attempt to trade for Deshaun Watson. This of course did not happen as the team has reportedly signed former Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky to a two-year deal. While this may not be the sexiest move possible to many Steeler fans, it was the right one. The offense did not just get better regarding mobility at the quarterback position, but overall talent as well. Trubisky is no Lamar Jackson in terms of mobility, but it's surely a step up from the current quarterbacks on the roster.
Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin has many holes to fill all over the field and this signing all but ensures the organization will avoid taking a quarterback in this year’s NFL Draft. Trubisky spent a year in Buffalo with Josh Allen and many throughout the Bills' organization raved about his professionalism. Trubisky is a former #2 overall pick and at just 27 years old, has a lot of football left in the tank and something to prove. Many Bears fans argue that former coach Matt Nagy was the reason Trubisky never reached his true potential in Chicago.
We all know Tomlin desired a mobile quarterback and Trubisky is 4th in the NFL since 2017 in yards per carry on scramble runs since he was drafted. His scrambles have generated an average of 8.2 yards per carry.
Mitchell Trubisky has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks rushing on scrambles since entering the NFL in 2017.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 14, 2022
Trubisky has averaged 8.2 yards per carry on scramble runs during his career, the 4th-most in the NFL (min. 50 scramble carries). https://t.co/j5qt3CH5CI pic.twitter.com/cZoPEv7wMi
His biggest flaw comes with holding onto the ball too long, however. He has 27 fumbles in 57 career games. Additionally, he has thrown 38 interceptions. It will be interesting to see how Matt Canada uses a more mobile quarterback in his offense. If Trubisky can minimize mistakes and Canada can call the right plays, the offense will be better than it was the last three years.
There is no doubt that this makes the quarterback room better. I’m sure we can expect to see Tomlin cite a quarterback battle between Trubisky, Mason Rudolph and even Dwayne Haskins, but that will be merely a motivation factor for QB1 who will end up being the former Bills backup.
Trubisky’s best season came back in 2018 when he played in 14 games throwing for over 3,200 yards and 24 touchdowns. He’s not a guy who will throw for 5,000 or more, but is a perfect compliment to Najee Harris if the Steelers can establish a rushing attack. Trubisky will remind us of Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee with Derrick Henry if the offensive line is improved and the offense becomes top 10 in the league in rushing. Giving a guy like Trubisky time in the pocket and the ability to effectively run play-action will make him a much better quarterback.
One can only learn so much in a year, but let’s hope he was paying close attention to Allen and now New York Giants head coach, Brian Dabol back in Buffalo. These are two guys that, if he learned from, could make him the best version of himself on the field as we have seen.
This move allows the Steelers to focus on getting better in all other areas through the draft. It is not an earth shattering move, but the right one given the needs at offensive line, wide receiver and on the other side of the ball. Steelers fans can now take a deep breath as the front office and Tomlin did something not only in free agency, but at the quarterback position. The off-season is a long way from over, but this is a step in the right direction to putting together a playoff-caliber team in 2022.
Do you agree with the Steelers signing of Mitchell Trubisky? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
