Getty Mitch Trubisky throws a pass before a Buffalo Bills game.
The Buffalo Bills will be in the market for a backup quarterback this offseason, and could look to a familiar face who hit the open market early.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers released veteran quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Though Trubisky lost his job as No. 2 behind starter Kenny Pickett last season, being replaced by Mason Rudolph, the timing of his release came as a bit of a surprise given that he had signed a two-year contract extension in 2023.
With Trubisky headed to the open market, one insider suggested that the Bills could make a run at their former backup who is still held in high regard within the organization.
Josh Allen’s Former Backup Could Return
Trubisky served as backup quarterback for the Bills in 2021, seeing limited time behind the durable Josh Allen. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said there was high competition for the former Chicago Bears starter and No. 2 overall pick at the time, but he convinced Trubisky to spend a year under the coaching staff that helped Allen turn into a star.
The #Steelers and QB Mitchell Trubisky have decided to mutually part ways, sources say. The sides spoke to assess the situation and Trubisky, 29, gets a fresh start just over a month ahead of the start of the league year and free agency.
“What we sold to him and his agent is, ‘Just come here for a reboot. Work with Josh Allen and our other quarterbacks, Jake Fromm (and) Davis Webb, (offensive coordinator) Brian Daboll and (quarterbacks coach) Ken Dorsey,” Beane said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL. “Come here, have a reset year and just be a part of what we’re doing here.”
As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia noted, the Bills could still hold Trubisky in high esteem and make a run at him as an affordable free-agency addition.
“Brandon Beane talked glowingly about the job Trubisky did as the Bills backup after the 2021 season,” Buscaglia wrote on X. “With a likely lowered price point and not counting toward the compensatory formula, I’d put this in the eyes emoji category for the Bills.”
SI.com’s Albert Breer joined Buscaglia in predicting that Trubisky could return to Buffalo, noting that he could provide some stability behind Allen.
“Mitch Trubisky going back to Buffalo would make all the sense in the world,” Breer wrote. “He had a really nice year there in 2021, to the point where Brian Daboll seriously considered taking the quarterback to the New York Giants with him. And while the Bills were happy to have Josh Allen’s buddy Kyle Allen there last year, Trubisky would help to upgrade the room.”
Insider Predicts Big Season for Bills Starter
Backup quarterbacks have had an easy workload in Buffalo over the last five seasons, as Allen has not missed a game due to injury since his rookie season. SI.com’s Connor Orr believes his best year could be ahead, predicting that Allen will win league MVP in 2024.
“How good the Bills will be is a mystery to me,” Orr wrote. “But, I think Allen has the makeup of an MVP candidate based on the likelihood that he’ll have to do a lot of heavy lifting. We saw the Bills offense ‘take off’—quotation usage intentional—after the restrictions (imposed or inferred) on Allen’s mobility were lifted. All of Allen’s highest rushing attempt games took place after the team fired Ken Dorsey and seemed to encourage Allen to put himself in harm’s way more frequently. If Allen can stay healthy while playing this combative style of football, he’ll be able to stay ahead of his closest competitors.”