![Mitch Trubisky](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/GettyImages-1361080953-e1646247668756.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780)
Getty Mitchell Trubisky #10 of the Buffalo Bills throws the ball during pregame warm-ups before the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 26, 2021.
This offseason is expected to be very busy for Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The 27-year-old took a pay cut to sign a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Buffalo last year, and while Bills Mafia would love for him to stay on as Josh Allen’s backup, it doesn’t appear to be in the cards.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said of Trubisky at the NFL scouting combine on Monday, March 1 that it’s “unrealistic to think we’re going to have him back. The former No. 2 overall pick from the 2017 NFL Draft will likely receive numerous offers once free agency starts, but according to ESPN’s Field Yates, one team makes the most sense.
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Trubisky is the “projected 2022 starter” for the Indianapolis Colts, Yates wrote on Tuesday, March 2, naming the North Carolina alum as the predicted successor to take over for Carson Wentz.
“It feels like a matter of when, not if, Wentz will be released by the Colts, ending a disappointing union that has cost draft capital that prevents them from being as serious a suitor for another top-flight quarterback this offseason (on top of the financial ramifications of the Wentz deal),” Yates wrote.
“Is Trubisky perfect? Far from it. But what the Colts would aim to do is lighten the load of Trubisky with a once-again dominant running game and a defense that can cause chaos. The price would not be significant, and there’s enough upside to explore.”
At Least 5 Other QB-Needy Teams Have Been Linked to Trubisky
Between receiving glowing reviews as a teammate and athlete from Allen, McDermott, and Bills general manager Brandon Beane, along with a fairly weak quarterback draft class, Trubisky’s stock around the league has skyrocketed.
On February 28, NFL Inside Jordan Schultz tweeted, “Mitch Trubisky drawing lots of FA buzz. Several teams – inc #Commanders, #Steelers and #Saints – are all interested in the former No. 2 pick, sources say… Bills LOVED having him – and several execs told me Mitch is viewed as a starting QB right now.”
“A few things Trubisky has going for him,” Schultz continued in a follow-up tweet, “Many around the league view his fourth season/lack of development with the #Bears as a Matt Nagy problem. He’s an elite athlete, even by NFL QB standards. Sitting a year in Buffalo has helped him, both on the field and in preparation.”
Bleacher Report‘s Gary Davenport predicted on February 16 that “Trubisky could be the 2022 QB carousel’s biggest winner,” naming three teams that will likely “settle” for him as a starter: the Steelers, Denver Broncos, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Davenport purposely used quotations around the word “settle,” because there’s a solid chance that Trubisky will be an upgrade for all three teams. While fans of the Broncos, Steelers, and Buccaneers have pipe dreams of landing Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, “They might have to swallow their pride just a little and hope for something in a gently-used Jimmy Garoppolo,” Davenport wrote. “As is the case more years than not, most of those big names won’t be going anywhere.”
Trubisky Says He’s Ready for his Next Opportunity
![Mitch Trubisky](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/GettyImages-1364866671.jpg?quality=65&strip=all)
GettyMitchell Trubisky #10 of the Buffalo Bills looks on prior to the AFC Wild Card playoff game against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on January 15, 2022 in Buffalo, New York.
Going from being a first-round draft pick and a starting quarterback to a backup could be unfathomable ego-wise for some players but Trubisky appeared to take the journey in stride.
After the Bears fired coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace following a disappointing 6-11 season, Trubisky received an onslaught of public apologies for the way he was treated in Chicago. But these offers of validation were not something he needed or was waiting for.
“You’ve just got to believe like deep down that everything you’re working on is going to pay off eventually,” Trubisky told The Buffalo News. “And they say the things you do in the dark will shine in the light someday when you get the opportunity. Hopefully, when I get that next opportunity, I’ll be able to shine.”
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Bills QB Named ‘Projected 2022 Starter’ for Indianapolis Colts: ESPN