The 2022 offseason has been an absolute whirlwind on the quarterback front, such that, as things have transpired, perhaps the biggest surprise is that Aaron Rodgers is still in Green Bay. We’ve had Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, and Carson Wentz dealt, for example, and numerous other prominent quarterbacks changing teams, with more—Baker Mayfield, and likely Jimmy Garoppolo—still to come.
The Pittsburgh Steelers got in on the quarterback movement early, deciding to bring in Mitch Trubisky, on a contract that is increasingly looking like a good value in comparison to the deals signed by others such as Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Teddy Bridgewater, and Tyrod Taylor. The new Steelers arm jumped on the Move the Sticks podcast with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks yesterday to talk Pittsburgh and what’s to come in their offense in 2022.
“First off, you just think of the rich history of the Pittsburgh Steelers. You think of the Super Bowls, the Hall of Famers, and all the great players who came through here”, he said about his interest in joining the Steelers from the beginning.
“Then you think of Coach [Mike Tomlin], who is one of the best head coaches in the NFL, and you want to play for a great head coach and a stable franchise like this, and the opportunity to come here and compete and get back onto the field was very appealing to me”, he added.
A former second overall draft pick of the Chicago Bears, Trubisky spent the 2021 season serving as a backup for Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills. While he credits that experience for teaching him a lot and becoming a more well-rounded player with a broader perspective, he is ready to get back on the field.
And he is happy with that he has seen the Steelers doing, including bringing in two new offensive linemen, which a quarterback is always glad to see. But he sees an exciting group of up-and-coming contributors he’s looking forward to getting started with.
“We’ve got a bunch of great, young core pieces, and I’m excited to get on the field with these guys”, he said. “I’ve met a bunch of them already, either in person or over text or FaceTime, and it seems like a great group, so I’m looking forward to adding to this culture here and get going with these guys. It’s very exciting”.
While the Steelers have lost a trio of wide receivers so far this offseason, they still return Diontae Johnson, a Pro Bowler in 2021, and Chase Claypool. They also have running back Najee Harris—also a Pro Bowl selection—and tight end Pat Freiermuth entering their second year together after a very promising rookie season.
There’s still plenty of time this offseason for the team to continue to add to the mix. They certainly need at least another wide receiver, and they likely will look to turn over their running back room a bit. At tight end, I’m sure they’re looking forward to the continued growth of Zach Gentry as a number two, while looking to Kevin Rader as a possible third option.
