Getty Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky warms up before a game.
Quarterback Mitch Trubisky had a one-year plan when he picked the Buffalo Bills last offseason — stay for a season, improve under the same coaching staff that helped Josh Allen blossom, then leave for the chance to compete for a starting job.
The last part of that plan could be coming into play in the coming weeks, when Trubisky heads to free agency and a number of teams are looking for new starting quarterbacks. As Ian Hartitz of Pro Football Focus noted, there could be one “dream” scenario for Trubisky with a team that just lost its future Hall of Famer to retirement.
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Trubisky’s Big Chance
As Hartitz wrote, Trubisky could be one of the best available free agent quarterbacks despite having played just 2.8% of snaps for the Bills last season, appearing only late in blowouts and often just for kneel-downs. But Trubisky came to Buffalo knowing he would not see much playing time behind Josh Allen, as Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Trubisky wanted the chance to develop under the team’s highly touted coaching staff.
Hartitz predicted that the Pittsburgh Steelers could be a “dream” scenario for Trubisky, at least from a fantasy football perspective. He noted that Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement has left an open competition for the Steelers, with no clear favorite right now.
Get Mitchell Trubisky his QB1 💰
“A training camp battle with Mason Rudolph and potentially Dwayne Haskins (restricted free agent) seems manageable but don’t count out the possibility of Trubisky providing more bombs than his more-publicized busts and functioning as an upside QB2 if the Steelers decide to give him a chance,” he wrote.
Other Options for Trubisky
There could be another frontrunner for Trubisky’s services next year, one that would bring some familiar faces. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweeted on March 8 that the New York Giants are seen as the most likely suitor, which would also allow Trubisky to compete for a starting job.
“Spoke to a team in the thick of it for a competitive backup QB in free agency, and they have a strong belief that Mitchell Trubisky is going to end up with the New York Giants and competing with Daniel Jones for the starting job,” Robinson wrote.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero: #Bills QB Mitchell Trubisky ‘could get paid more than you think’ as a free agent in the coming days: t.co/aWgA1EWJZj
Signing with the Giants would allow Trubisky to reunite with a number of Bills coaches and executives who have already made the trip downstate. The Giants hired former Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen to serve as their general manager and hired former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as their head coach. The Giants have already signed Bills backup quarterback Davis Webb.
Some league insiders believe that if Trubisky does find his way into a starting job, it may be as a placeholder while the team grooms a younger quarterback. One unnamed AFC executive told ESPN that Trubisky could have a chance to prove that he’s better than his tenure with the Chicago Bears would indicate.
“I could see [Trubisky] going to a situation where he can be a starting option and the team drafts a quarterback,” the insider said. “He’ll have to go out there and earn it, but there’s certainly enough there where the right offense can accommodate him. The offense in Chicago was pretty rigid and on-script, and I’m not sure it suited him.”
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