Getty Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin watches as his team warms up.
Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett was handed the keys to the Pittsburgh Steelers offense on October 2, making them potential trade partners with quarterback-needy teams.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin named Pickett the starter for their October 9 matchup with the Buffalo Bills, relegating veteran Mitch Trubisky to second on the depth chart. Pittsburgh’s fourth-year quarterback Mason Rudolph currently remains at No. 3.
Having two backups with starting experience is a good problem for the Steelers in the weeks leading up to the NFL trade deadline.
With the deadline less than a month away, rumors are heating up that one of the two quarterbacks could be on his way out of Pittsburgh.
The post-Tom Brady New England Patriots find themselves in a bind a quarter of the way through the season. Second-year quarterback Mac Jones has been recovering from a high-ankle sprain since their September 25 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Brian Hoyer, initially behind Jones on the depth chart, suffered a concussion in the first quarter of the Green Bay Packers game. In relief of Hoyer, rookie Bailey Zappe led New England to a gripping near-win versus the Packers in overtime on October 2. But with Hoyer now on injured reserve, the team is one injured Zappe away from Garrett Gilbert, the journeyman quarterback signed to their practice squad on October 4.
The Patriots could call the Steelers looking for a quarterback before we know it.
Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora predicts it will be former No. 2 overall draft pick Mitch Trubisky who Pittsburgh trades.
Trading Mason Rudolph Makes More Sense Than Mitch Trubisky in 2022
Despite Jason La Canfora’s report, teams may not be interested in making a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for Mitch Trubisky. A market for him may not be realistic, given his comeback was short-lived after taking the black & gold to a 1-3 record.
If a team comes calling before November 1, Mason Rudolph makes more financial sense for the Steelers to unload.
Trading Rudolph would save Pittsburgh $3 million against the cap versus Trubisky’s cap savings of $1.035 million, per Over the Cap.
Rudolph will be a free agent in March 2023, after the Steelers signed him to a one-year, $5 million extension in April 2021. Trubisky, signed at the start of the 2022 free agency, is contractually bound to Pittsburgh through the 2023 season.
If the Steelers choose to hold onto their quarterback depth this season, Trubisky will make more sense to unload in the offseason.
In 2023, Trubisky, 28, is set to earn a base salary of $8 million plus prorated $2.625 million bonus next season. His $10.625 million hit is 4.6 percent of the Steelers’ 2023 cap. Unless Trubisky’s contract is restructured, that’s a lot of money for a backup quarterback.
It would be cheaper to extend Rudolph in the offseason and send Trubisky packing. If they can get something in return via a trade, great. Otherwise, he could be on the cutting room floor, especially if Rudolph signs another extension.
Rudolph might wish to test the free agent market, but it’s hard to imagine him leaving, especially if he re-earns his No. 2 spot. The Steelers dangled the starting quarterback carrot, only to bring in two new guys, but Rudolph knows Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh knows Rudolph. That might count for something unless he wants a fresh start somewhere else as a backup.
Trading either quarterback this month isn’t going to net the Pittsburgh Steelers much value. They might as well keep them both and revisit their situation in the offseason.