Getty The Steelers could send Mitch Trubisky packing.
The window for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky to resurrect his career as a starter has closed. While it wasn’t open that long, the air quickly got frigid.
It’s difficult to imagine Trubisky going from Pittsburgh to another team in a starting role. He’s not what the Steelers hoped they were getting when they signed him in March 2022 — a bridge starter while the franchise’s future — Kenny Pickett — developed. Though Trubisky offered glimpses of above-average potential in Chicago, his 3.5 games in Pittsburgh showed he’s not above average.
The experiment was short-lived. You can’t blame Mike Tomlin for trying. Now it’s time to unload Trubisky for anything they can get.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposes a trade between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos, who are also struggling to find their offensive.
Two preseason hype machines go in different directions. [Mitch] Trubisky’s time as the starter in Pittsburgh is over, and the 2017 first-rounder will likely be cut after the season, given his $8 million unguaranteed base salary in 2023. Russell Wilson already is dealing with a lat injury in Denver, and his backup is Brett Rypien, who threw four interceptions on 40 attempts in 2020. Trubisky isn’t a starting-caliber quarterback, but his mobility makes him a passable backup if Wilson needs to miss time.
[Albert] Okwuegbunam was a fantasy sleeper heading into 2022, but he has fallen down the tight end depth chart for the Broncos. He saw his snap counts drop in four straight weeks to begin the season, going from 67% in Week 1 to a lone snap in Week 4. Okwuegbunam was back up to 21% in Week 5, but the Broncos also activated second-round pick Greg Dulcich from injured reserve, which could cost Albert O his spot in the lineup. He would be a backup tight end for the Steelers behind Freiermuth, playing a similar role to what Eric Ebron did for Pittsburgh last season.
Trade Compensation for Mitch Trubisky
It would be wise for the Pittsburgh Steelers to get what they can as soon as they can for Mitch Trubisky. If they wait, they’ll cut losses in the offseason with nothing in return. As Bill Barnwell noted, he’s due $8 million next season — a steep price for a backup.
With all due respect to Barnwell, his scenario of the Steelers getting a tight end in return for Mitch Trubisky is illogical. It’s just not a position of need. Reserve tight ends are minimally utilized in their current offense. Zach Gentry, second to Pat Freiermuth on the depth chart, has proven to be a serviceable backup. Selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft, Gentry has been on the field for 46 percent of Pittsburgh’s snaps this season. He’s reliable as a blocker and has averaged a 94 percent catch rate. It would be a surprise if the Steelers didn’t resign him in the offseason.
Even if Pittsburgh lets him walk in free agency, there’s a backup-in-waiting by the name of Connor Heyward. He could have an opportunity to put his talents on display when the Steelers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 16. Gentry is nursing a knee injury, and Freiermuth’s been limited in practice with a concussion.
A future draft pick makes more sense if the Pittsburgh Steelers actually find a suitor for Mitch Trubisky by the November 1 trade deadline.
Like playoff hopefuls, the Steelers aren’t one or two players away from having a complete team — there are holes everywhere. While the organization never admits to rebuilding, that’s exactly what’s happening. It needs all the draft capital it can muster to do it right. If the Steelers are active participants in the trade market this month — and they should be given the underperformance of high-profile players — it will be for picks and not players.