The Steelers found a bridge quarterback in free agency. Here’s how the Mitchell Trubisky signing gives Pittsburgh flexibility in the 2022 NFL Draft.
It might not have been the player that fans have been banging on the table for, but the Pittsburgh Steelers found their starting quarterback for the 2022 season. On Monday morning, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Mitchell Trubisky was signing a two-year deal with Pittsburgh.
This comes after a drama-filled week of quarterback transitions in the NFL. Many had hoped that Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson would have been on the table, but the Steelers never seemed like serious trade candidates considering the absurd amount of resources they would have had to give up.
Instead, it’s Trubisky who joins Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins in Pittsburgh’s QB room. Trubisky only threw the ball 8 times for the Buffalo Bills in the regular season last year, but the former second overall pick is expected to be the Week 1 starter when the season opens up.
Trubiksy might not be just a scrub either. While I would caution against having expectations that are too lofty, Trubisky has a career record of 29-21 with a pretty underwhelming Bears team. In 2018, Trubisky led his team to an 11-3 record as a starter en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance, via Pro Football Reference.
While Mitch Trubisky is highly unlikely to be the long-term answer at the quarterback position for the Steelers, his signing does give the Steelers flexibility when it comes to the 2022 NFL Draft.
Steelers don’t have to go QB early with Trubisky signed
Now that Trubisky is in town on a two-year contract, the Steelers don’t have to pigeonhole themselves into drafting a quarterback in 2022 — something that most in the draft media thought they would have to do this April.
Regardless of which QB they would hypothetically select in the draft this year, there is very little chance that this quarterback would be awarded the chance to start as a rookie over an established player with tools and starting experience like Trubisky.
This certainly doesn’t mean that drafting a quarterback in 2022 is out of the question. Rather, the Steelers won’t be forced to take one early for the lack of a better option.
For months, the Steelers have been reported to have a heavy interest in Liberty QB Malik Willis. While they could try to be aggressive and trade up for Willis, we know that he’s probably going to need a year to sit and learn before he’s ready to see the football field. Outside of Willis, if there’s an option Pittsburgh doesn’t feel comfortable with, they can wait to address the QB position in 2023.
By doing this, Pittsburgh can continue to try to improve the offensive line and build a championship roster for whomever the next quarterback will be. This is likely to include targeting the trenches early in the 2022 NFL Draft — something this team has neglected for far too long.
It’s never good to enter the NFL Draft with glaring holes or being fixated on one position. If nothing else, the Mitchell Trubisky signing gives the Steelers some flexibility to take the best player available on the board when pick 20 rolls around this year.