Now that training camp is over with the Pittsburgh Steelers back in Pittsburgh and gearing up for what they hope will be a much more productive season, it’s time to take stock of where the team stands. Specifically, where Steelers players stand individually based on what we have seen and are seeing over the course of training camp and the preseason and the regular season as it plays out. A stock evaluation can take a couple of different approaches and I’ll try to make clear my reasoning for each one. In some cases, it will be based on more long-term trends. In other instances, it will be a direct response to something that just happened. Because of this, we can and will see a player more than once over the course of the season as we move forward.
Player: QB Mitch Trubisky
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The veteran quarterback played very admirably in relief of starting quarterback Kenny Pickett following a concussion. In helping the Steelers secure a win, Trubisky completed nine of 12 passes in the second half for 144 yards with one touchdown, and he closed out the game with a 4:38-minute drive.
You thought you were rid of him, didn’t you? Well, it’s not guaranteed that he ever plays another snap in a Steelers uniform, but if that’s the case, he’ll be leaving off on a high note. After all, his last snap was in victory formation.
The Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky, a former first-round draft pick, to a free agent contract back in March which, for all intents and purposes, was for the starting job. He did open the season as the starting quarterback after also being voted a team captain, but for reasons both his fault and not, the offense struggled tremendously and eventually he was benched at halftime in Week 4.
Kenny Pickett finished out that game and started the next two, but after leaving yesterday in the third quarter with a concussion, it was up to Trubisky again, and he was up to the task this time, playing with abandon and more aggressiveness than he did while fearing to lose his starting role.
The stat lines are easily found—just look up above, for example—but the point is, he came through in clutch situations. That included a string of third down plays in which the Steelers faced 13 yards or more to the line to gain. He somehow kept converting them, including two on the game-sealing drive, with wide receiver Chase Claypool finding himself the playmaker.
What’s next for Trubisky? Well, he may end up starting next week against the Miami Dolphins since Pickett has to go through the concussion protocol while also managing to get in a complete week’s worth of work, which is even more difficult as a rookie.
I don’t know that we’re at the point of having the discussion about whether or not Trubisky might find himself back in the starting lineup. But if he has to start next week and plays a great game, well—who knows?
