Getty Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin might only spend one year working with former Bears starter Mitchell Trubisky.
The Chicago Bears appear to be all-in on finding out if Justin Fields can solidify himself as their franchise quarterback during the 2023 season, but one of their previous misses in that department could soon find himself back on the market.
There is a growing consensus that former Bears starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky could find himself on the chopping block with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason as the team looks for ways to create salary-cap relief heading into the new league year. Both USA Today and The Athletic agree that Trubisky is the team’s top cut candidate for 2023 with a potential $8 million in savings if they release him prior to June 1.
Trubisky signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Steelers last offseason and won the starting quarterback job coming into the 2022 season, but he was benched after his first four starts in favor of first-round rookie Kenny Pickett, who really started to piece things together and elevate the offense down the final stretch of the year.
With Pickett contract controlled for the next three to four years and showing far more promise than Trubisky, it could only be a matter of weeks before the former Bears quarterback is back on the market and hunting for a new job, likely as a team’s backup.
Will Trevor Siemian Remain Fields’ Backup for 2023?
The Bears are almost certainly not going to explore a reunion with Trubisky in 2023 even if he does return to the open market. The real quarterback question they have to answer is: Are they going to keep Trevor Siemian as Fields’ backup for next season?
Siemian signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Bears and got an opportunity to make a spot start in Week 12 against the New York Jets while Fields was dealing with a shoulder injury. His performance, however, was middling as he went 14-of-25 passing with 179 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception in the 31-10 loss.
Now, nobody expected the 31-year-old Siemian to be a world-beating backup option for the Bears, but it stands to reason general manager Ryan Poles might want to explore alternatives as he looks to make the team more competitive for next season. The Bears have both of their other backup quarterbacks — Nathan Peterman and Tim Boyle — set to hit free agency, while Siemian’s $2.465 million cap hit for next season can be reduced to just $500,000 in dead cap if they cut ties with him. Surely, with the right approach and a bit of investment, they can find a better quarterback than that trio.
Bears to Meet With Multiple QB Prospects at Combine
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Bears are expected to meet with “most, if not all, of the top quarterbacks” in the 2023 draft class when they attend the NFL Scouting Combine this week. His sources also added that the Bears’ interest in scouting those quarterbacks “shouldn’t be seen as any indication that Bears are going to take a quarterback with the top overall pick,” as trading away the No. 1 overall pick still seems to be the priority plan for Chicago as they navigate the offseason.
Still, Poles is right to speak with quarterbacks of all levels at the premier scouting event. While Bryce Young, Will Levis, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson are projected to be the top options in the class, there are a few others — such as Tennnessee’s Hendon Hooker and TCU’s Max Duggan — who could be available on Day 3 and might have some appeal to the Bears as a developmental backup option.
Don’t forget, even though Poles seems all-in on Fields at the moment, he is a second-year GM who likely wants a chance at drafting his own quarterback at some point. If he decides one of the late-round prospects has the potential to develop into a quality NFL starter, it could be a wise investment both to solve the backup quarterback problem and to hedge their bets against any potential future issues with Fields.