Two moves in the AFC North early this offseason have many people more convinced than ever that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be aggressive an acquiring a quarterback in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The first was the team’s decision to sign quarterback Mitch Trubisky. The second was Deshaun Watson landing in the division, which already includes Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, with the Cleveland Browns.
Whether that happens or not, however, the 2022 season is still bound to be Trubisky’s, and he is ready for the challenge to lead a team again after spending last year sitting behind Josh Allen as his backup for the Buffalo Bills—which he ultimately believes was of benefit to him.
“I feel refreshed. I feel recharged”, he told Mike Prisuta yesterday in an exclusive interview for the team’s website. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot in Buffalo, and it’s just gonna help me for this next opportunity. It was an incredible offense in Buffalo, and I’ve learned a lot from Coach [Brian] Daboll and Coach [Ken] Dorsey, and I’m looking forward to using everything I learned there and instilling it here. it’s gonna be a lot of fun”.
A former second overall draft pick by the Chicago Bears in 2017, Trubisky has been under scrutiny his entire career, but he helped lead a pretty mediocre Bears team to two postseason appearances during his time there. He even managed to sneak into the Pro Bowl in 2018 in a year in which he went 11-3 as the starter of record.
The Steelers, of course, are looking to replace Ben Roethlisberger, the team’s former franchise quarterback who led the team for the past 18 years, and who helped them win two Super Bowl in the early stages of his career.
Trubisky, though, wasn’t even in high school yet when Pittsburgh last won a Super Bowl. That’s what he’d like to try to help them to do, but he knows that the first step is simply getting back on the field. He still has to earn the starting role over Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins, and quite likely a rookie as well.
The odds strongly favor him opening the season as the starter, though, and he will have the services of Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Najee Harris, and Pat Freiermuth to help him, as the front office continues to adjust the offensive line, with James Daniels and Mason Cole being recent veteran free agent signings.
Listening to Trubisky talk in recent months, he doesn’t spend a lot of time talking about Chicago, interestingly enough. He does talk a lot about how going to Buffalo was eye-opening, both on and off the field, showing him what a winning culture looks like and introducing him to a more open offensive playbook.
He believes he is a better player now, and more prepared to dive into a new offense, this one likely better centered around the qualities that favor him, which was not always the case during his time in Chicago.
