We’re not technically in the offseason yet, at least as far as the NFL is concerned. The local Pittsburgh media certainly is, however, as evidenced by their expert manufacturing of storylines. We’ve had a couple of big ones lately, including a perceived quarrel with the salary cap as it concerns what is owed Mitch Trubisky to be a backup quarterback.
Signed to a two-year, $16 million contract last offseason with the idea that he would likely be the starter to open the season and serve as a bridge guy, he is due an $8 million base salary. What his cap hit is doesn’t matter because the base salary is the only movable part of the deal.
And so we get on the radio and what are they talking about? Naturally, Trubisky. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was on 93.7 The Fan yesterday with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller and was basically asked to speculate about the situation.
“I think it would be tough for him to stay at that number for a backup. It’s just not the Steelers’ way”, he eventually offered, though the ‘way’ requires a lot of context. “Mitch wants to play, or at least have a chance to play, I know that”.
Mason Rudolph wanted to play as well, but he didn’t end up anywhere. And team president Art Rooney II already said that he expects Trubisky to be on the team. Even Fowler ultimately acknowledged it won’t be Trubisky forcing the issue.
“I think he would have a market, so it would not surprise me to try to shake something out”, he said. “I don’t think Trubisky’s gonna ask for a release, though. I think it’s more, ‘Okay, if you want to pay me my $8 million, I’ll stay here’. It’s gonna be up to the Steelers”.
To be clear, when Fowler said that he would have a market, he was referring specifically to a scenario in which the Steelers were to release Trubisky because of his cap hit. When asked about a trade scenario, he said that he believes a team would wait for him to be released and wouldn’t want to give up draft capital.
After all, if you have an $8 million backup quarterback you don’t want, what makes you think anybody would want to give up a draft pick to get him? In other words, it would have to be the Steelers deciding that they don’t want to carry Trubisky on the roster at $8 million in base salary.
And sure, that’s high for a backup, although not extortionate. But as far as the ‘Steeler way’ goes, it’s worth keeping in mind that they had Ben Roethlisberger for the past 18 years. And he was close to the top of the market for most of that time.
In other words, you have a young quarterback making substantially less money. It makes more sense to invest more in a veteran backup when you can afford it. I’m afraid it is my opinion that this issue died when Rooney said what he did about Trubisky. Trubisky’s not going to ask for his release and the Steelers will find other ways to create cap space. They would probably add void years before they cut him. And I don’t expect that to happen either.
