Getty Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky could land with another AFC team if he is released this offseason.
Several NFL insiders have reported a strong possibility that quarterback Mitch Trubisky will not return to the Pittsburgh Steelers next season. The Steelers will save $8 million in salary cap space if they release Trubisky.
Should Trubisky be cut, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia predicted him to possibly return to one of his former teams — the Buffalo Bills.
“With the 34-year-old [Case] Keenum up there in age, he could be a cost-effective option for the Bills to return for another season,” Buscaglia wrote. “But he could have some competition if Trubisky is cut by the Steelers in a cap-saving move, as Allen and the franchise raved about Trubisky.”
Trubisky played just one season for the Bills and attempted only 8 passes. He threw for 43 yards with zero touchdowns and 1 interception, but he reportedly fit well in Buffalo during 2021 as Josh Allen’s backup.
Steelers to Cut Trubisky to Save Salary Cap Space?
The Steelers are not in dire straits with their salary cap. Spotrac ranked them 17th in the league in cap space on February 14, and the Steelers do not have to release anyone to get under the cap (the team currently has about $331,000 of space).
However, to make any significant moves in free agency, the Steelers will have to “trim the fat” off their roster as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler phrased it on February 11.
Most consider Trubisky’s contract to be part of that fat. He holds a $10.625 salary cap hit for 2023, which makes him the ninth-most expensive player on the Steelers roster for next season.
With Kenny Pickett expected to start going forward, that’s a big cap hit for a backup quarterback.
Trubisky signed a two-year, $14.285 million contract last offseason to land in Pittsburgh. If he is released, he will become a free agent for the third straight year.
In 7 appearances with the Steelers during 2022, Trubisky completed 65.0% of his passes for 1,252 yards, 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He averaged 7.0 yards per pass and also rushed for 2 scores.
Trubisky’s Possible Return to the Bills
The Steelers releasing Trubisky is not a sure thing.
Owner Art Rooney II told KDKA’s Bob Pompeani that he expects Trubisky to be on Pittsburgh’s 2023 roster. Although doing that would give the Steelers one of the most expensive backup quarterbacks in the NFL, they still would only be spending a very affordable $13 million on their top two signal callers.
It’s possible, though, that Trubisky could force his way out of Pittsburgh. He told ESPN’s Brooke Pryor in January that he wished he “would’ve taken some more time” rather than signing with the Steelers on the first day of free agency. Theoretically, he could request the Steelers to be either released or traded.
But in that situation, a return to Buffalo hardly seems like a guarantee.
Trubisky signed with the Steelers a year ago with the intent of becoming a starter again. If he becomes a free agent once more this offseason, one would think he will want to go someplace to compete for a starting job.
As several NFL teams are again set to play musical quarterback chairs this offseason, it’s hard to project exactly which teams might be interested in Trubisky.
But with the Bills, he obviously isn’t a candidate for a starting role.