Despite being signed to start for the Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Mitch Trubisky lost his starting job in Week 4 of last year to Kenny Pickett and will enter the 2023 season as the team’s backup quarterback. In Sports Illustrated’s latest backup quarterback rankings, they put the former second overall pick at No. 15 in the NFL.
“Upon reconsideration, Trubisky is worthy of being listed as a top-16 backup quarterback in the NFL. He can thank the many angry tweets about him being left off our initial QB2 rankings earlier this year. Trubisky plays too safe at times and struggles with accuracy and reading defenses, but it’s hard to ignore his winning record of 31–24 and the mobility he provides in the pocket. Also, his career completion percentage of 64.2 is better than most quarterbacks on this list,” Gilberto Manzano writes.
While No. 15 feels a little bit low for Trubisky, and you can definitely argue that he should be ahead of someone like Bailey Zappe (No. 13 on the list), it’s generally an ok spot for Trubisky to be. His consistency isn’t where it should be, which, to be fair, is a problem for a lot of backup quarterbacks and a reason why they’re backups. But Trubisky’s three interceptions cost Pittsburgh a game against the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Week 14 last year but then led the Steelers to a must-win game over the Panthers in Week 15. He’s a fine game manager, but his subpar decision-making leads to a lot of bad throws and unnecessary interceptions.
At this point, Trubisky is who he is. He’s a solid backup, probably closer to top-12 in the league than top-15 as SI has him at this list, but he isn’t going to come in and set the world on fire. It was worth a shot for Pittsburgh to try him as a starter after a stint as Josh Allen’s backup after his stint with the Bears ended, but at this point, he’s best served as a backup. With a good enough team around him, he can lead you to a few wins if he can limit turnovers, but he might cost you a game or two if his decision-making falters.
The Steelers have a solid quarterback room with Pickett, Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. All three have legitimate NFL starting experience, and Pickett is a quarterback on the rise. Ideally, there’s going to be no need for Trubisky or Rudolph to see the field, but the Steelers are in a better position than a lot of teams if they have to play with their backup. But if Pickett stays healthy, he’s their guy and hopefully, he takes strides in Year Two to insert himself as an upper-echelon quarterback in the league.
