Could Baker Mayfield beat out Mitch Trubisky if he lands on the Steelers?
The Baker Mayfield saga has been one of the top stories of the entire NFL offseason. We know he is done with the Cleveland Browns. But where will he play next?
The storyline is only set to heat up on Thursday night when the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft gets underway. This is always a popular night for blockbuster trades to go down, as teams start to see how the board unfolds.
Yet it's also possible he stays put and the Browns will ultimately be forced to release him. In that scenario, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain an intriguing option to sign the quarterback. That is especially true if the Steelers don't draft a top quarterback and enter the summer with Mitch Trubisky as their starter.
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Mayfield in Pittsburgh is a thrilling option. But if the hypothetical comes true, could he even beat out Trubisky?
Baker Mayfield would be thrown into an open competition in Pittsburgh
Mayfield and Trubisky are both in a similar situation at this point in their respective NFL careers. The former went No. 1 overall in 2018, while the latter went No. 2 overall in 2017. Neither will open 2022 with their original teams.
Both have also faced a ton of hate in their original cities. The only difference is that Trubisky has a headstart on the process after leaving the Chicago Bears and joining the Buffalo Bills in 2021. He sat behind Josh Allen for a year and saw his stock rise drastically.
So let's get to the stats.
Both quarterbacks have 29 wins to their names. Mayfield has the edge with one postseason victory. The former No. 1 overall pick also has a huge edge in yards and touchdowns. Mayfield has 14,125 yards and 92 touchdowns, while Trubisky is at 10,652 yards and 64 touchdowns. Yet Trubisky never started a full 16 games during his time in Chicago and had zero starts in Buffalo.
"I think Baker Mayfield walks away as the steal of the NFL draft."
—@danorlovsky7 👀 https://t.co/Rir1nbHU2L
Everyone also wants to talk about character, which has never been an issue with Trubisky. It was also never an issue with Mayfield until the Browns pursued Deshaun Watson and seemingly leaked concerns about their quarterback to the media.
So, to answer the question, yes, Mayfield can beat out Trubisky for the starting job. The Browns star won a playoff game during the 2020 season and only saw his stock fall after he played nearly the entire 2021 season with a torn labrum.
The intriguing thing about this competition is that the winner would be in a perfect spot to revive their career. But the loser? They may be out of starting opportunities for good, relegated to life as a backup.