Back a few months ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers made several splashes in the matter of a week in free agency. It went against what Steelers fans are used to, as it's normally a mostly-quiet off-season for the black and gold. With Ben Roethlisberger's hefty contract off the books, the team had plenty of cap space to spend for the first time in years.
Credit: Steelers.com
As a result, they shored up the offensive line with James Daniels and Mason Cole, while also bringing in a veteran quarterback in Mitch Trubisky. The signing of Trubisky in itself was huge, as he's set to be the team's starting quarterback in 2022. It'll be the first season in the post-Roethlisberger era as well, which is seen to likely be a developmental year for rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett. Trubisky's signing helped bring in another off-season signing, though.
"Obviously, I've said the reason that I went to Pittsburgh was because of Mitch," Levi Wallace said on Friday's edition of Good Morning Football.
Trubisky and Wallace spent the 2021 season together with the Buffalo Bills. Clearly, the two hit it off and became friends in the process. Wallace spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bills before coming over to Pittsburgh in the off-season. Meanwhile, Trubisky spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears before signing with the Bills last off-season.
Aug 21, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) smiles after a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
The University of North Carolina product proceeded to spend the 2021 season as a backup to one of the game's best players, Josh Allen. Wallace has already talked about Trubisky's influence on his decision to come to the Steelers on a two-year, $8 million deal. Back in March, just a week after Wallace signed with his new team, he had this to say on GMFB in a tweet via Will Selva.
"For me, it [Trubisky] was one of the biggest reasons I went to Pittsburgh. One, the leader he is on and off the field. Mitch did a tremendous job on scout team and just the hard work he puts in. Just a smart player."
By all accounts so far, Trubisky seems like the perfect guy to start at quarterback for the Steelers. Sure, he has some flaws as a QB, but his leadership and charisma are obvious. It helped the black and gold land Wallace, which heads into the season as arguably the team's top corner.
By now, it's well-documented. Trubisky seems to be the front-runner to win the Steelers' starting quarterback job this season, while Pickett and Mason Rudolph still have outside chances. Thankfully, we won't be able to debate it much longer, as the season is near. In fact, training camp begins this week in Latrobe! Will you be there?
Yinz, how cool is this? Do you think Trubisky's leadership will play a large role in helping improve the team's offense in 2022? What are your expectations for Levi Wallace this season (and beyond)? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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