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Few players have seamlessly gelled with a new team in one season more than Buffalo Bills backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
While the former Chicago Bears starter only signed a one-year deal with the Bills, quarterback Josh Allen said in December that he loves having Trubisky on the team, and general manager Brandon Beane gave him a glowing review during his end-of-year press conference.
Beane said, “I’d love to have Mitchell back,” but the reality is that Trubisky will likely move on as a starter for the 2022 NFL season, and the only big question is for what team.
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With so many franchises’ quarterback situations in flux, 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.
Mitch Trubisky on why he ultimately chose Buffalo and how he thinks things are going
“It’s just really nice to be part of a great team and be somewhere where people want you here and they care about how you’re progressing as a person and as a player”
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 Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tampa Bay 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.”
“It’s not going to be a splashy trade that will produce this year’s biggest winner among signal-callers on the move,” Davenport continued. “It’s going to be a young quarterback who will get the chance to get his professional career back on track—an opportunity for redemption… Mitchel David Trubisky.”
Why the Bucs, Steelers & Broncos Make the Most Sense for Trubisky
GettyQuarterback Mitchell Trubisky spent the 2021 season as a backup with the Buffalo Bills.
Trubisky, 27, is far from the only quarterback expected to be on the move this offseason, but steep contracts and off-the-field drama make obtaining Deshaun Watson from the Texans or Jimmy Garopplo from the Niners less enticing. As for Carson Wentz, the fact that reports have the Colts basically ready to give him away “tell you all you need to know about his 2022 campaign,” Davenport noted.
Trubisky is a free agent and just spent the past year working under Allen, who’s arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now. Therefore, it makes sense for the Steelers to make Trubisky an offer. After the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, it’s hard to argue that Trubisky wouldn’t be an upgrade over backup Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins.
The Buccaneers are obviously in need of a new starter following Tom Brady’s retirement, and his backup, former first-round pick Blaine Gabbert, who turned 32 in October, is also set to become a free agent this offseason.
GettyMitchell Trubisky #10 of the Buffalo Bills warms up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium on October 31, 2021.
As for the Broncos, it doesn’t appear they found a long-term solution with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2022. Also, Broncos radio host Ryan Edwards tweeted in December that Bridgwater is looking for a “multi-year contract in the range of $25 million,” and has already acknowledged that he doesn’t expect Denver to pay up.
“The Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers both have rosters comparable to (or better than) the 2018 Bears team that Trubisky was 11-3 as the starter with,” Davenport wrote. “They also have actual, honest-to-goodness head coaches. The last thing Denver Broncos fans want is another underwhelming veteran signing. But Trubisky has a better arm than Teddy Bridgewater and a better head than Drew Lock.”
Trubisky Says He’s Ready for his Next Opportunity
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, Trubisky took the journey in stride, even agreeing to a pay cut in order to sign with the Bills last year.
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 the North Carolina alum needed or was waiting for.
NVP Mitch Trubisky REVENGE GAME
“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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3 Teams Most Likely to ‘Settle’ for Bills QB Mitch Trubisky in 2022: B/R