If you look closely upon the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason, you’ll notice a bit of an underlying theme overall.
Of course, the Steelers are adding players they’re relatively familiar with overall, but they’re also adding guys that are familiar with each other.
Of the five outside free agent signings the Steelers have made so far, offensive lineman James Daniels, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, and cornerback Levi Wallace all share a connection of sorts.
Trubisky spent three seasons with Daniels in Chicago, one of which was with Daniels as his center, while Trubisky spent last season in Buffalo with Wallace. Trubisky and Daniels will be tasked with helping to rebuild one of the league’s worst offenses in 2022 under Matt Canada, while Wallace will be tasked with replacing the secondary leader in Joe Haden.
Knowing he has a tall task in front of him in not only rebuilding the offense but also replacing future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger, Trubisky is happy to have some familiar faces in the building, especially Daniels in front of him.
“Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s great to have a familiar face here,” Trubisky said to reporters during his introductory press conference, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “I was hanging out with James earlier this morning, so I’m so excited that we’re here together. I love my O-line.
“…We’ve got a bunch of great guys I up front, and they’re really gonna set the tone for this team. And I’m looking forward to meeting all those guys and getting with those guys here soon,” Trubisky added. “I’m excited. I’m happy James is here. I can’t wait to meet other guys. And once we get rolling, it’ll be exciting.”
Having a familiar face or two in the building will certainly help with Trubisky’s transition from backup quarterback in Buffalo where he maybe didn’t quite have a voice, to starting quarterback on an experienced Steelers’ team aiming to make another run to the playoffs in 2022. Add in the fact that one of those familiar faces is an offensive lineman who has plenty of experience blocking for him, all the better for a smoother transition into the starting role.
As for Wallace, the young cornerback couldn’t help but praise Trubisky as a leader on and off the field, even though Trubisky rarely saw the field in Buffalo overall. That didn’t negate him from making an impact in Buffalo, especially in Wallace’s eyes.
“Mitch is a great guy on and off the field. Definitely a leader, and a team player and just the way he carries himself each and every day, true professional,” Wallace said to reporters during his introductory press conference, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “I love being on his team. Even when he wasn’t playing with Josh [Allen] starting last year, he just did so much for the team and the organization, on and off the field. So I’m glad to see a familiar face here. I’m glad to have him on my team, you know, we’re ready to get to work.”
