Stick with Trubisky, trade for Baker Mayfield, or wait for 2023 NFL Draft? What will the Steelers do at QB?
Mitchell Trubisky signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason to potentially replace Ben Roethlisberger; however, the Steelers can still opt to trade for Baker Mayfield or even wait for a stronger QB class in the 2023 NFL Draft.
It is very much a conundrum for those in the Steelers front office, and it isn't a decision they can take lightly, with each choice having various pros and cons.
Replacing an iconic figure like Big Ben isn't easy, and some would say it's impossible to do so right away. Yet the franchise can't afford to stagnate, with many arguing their current roster is too good to waste a year playing with Trubisky.
Mike Tomlin will want to keep up his record of never having a losing season as a head coach in the NFL, but which option is his best choice?
Mitchell Trubisky, Baker Mayfield, or 2023?
Sticking with Trubisky:
Being drafted with the second overall pick and being on your third team in six seasons is never a good look for a quarterback.
Trubisky entered a problematic situation in Chicago and struggled initially, although he started 12 games in his rookie season. In his second year, he appeared to have taken the jump in development the Bears needed, throwing for 3,223 yards and 24 touchdowns.
However, an agonizing playoff defeat to the Eagles, courtesy of a missed field goal, left the team out of the running. Neither the Bears nor Trubisky has ever recovered.
Doubts over his game-management have plagued him throughout his career in Chicago, although the stats show there to be a promising QB there.
Trubisky holds the Bears franchise record for career passer rating and is the fastest Bears QB to eclipse 10,000 passing yards. To put this into context, this was a record held by the legendary Jim McMahon.
Out of Mason Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins, and himself, Trubisky is the most reliable pair of hands Mike Tomlin has at his disposal. This is a good fallback option, especially with the cost of trading for a quarterback this offseason.
Mitch Trubisky turns 28 this August. He has a 25-13 record as a starter since 2018 and he’s 3-0 vs the AFC North in his career.
I’ve already heard from two of his former coaches, who called the QB humble, well-liked and a leader. This is a smart pickup for the #Steelers.
Trubisky might not be able to win the Steelers games like Big Ben did, but he would be a reliable thrower on a team that can probably get by for a year.
His teammates and coaches in Buffalo are enthused about Trubisky's professionalism, and he will fit in well with the group in Pittsburgh. He is desperate to play regularly in the NFL once more, and nobody will put more effort into the Steelers' cause than Trubisky.
Trading for Baker Mayfield:
Baker Mayfield's time in Cleveland is up, and the Steelers have emerged as one of the prime candidates to trade for a player who has been a rival in recent years.
Having been the architect of the Steelers' most painful playoff defeat of recent times, Mayfield is hardly a popular figure in Pittsburgh. Still, there is a seriously talented quarterback there and available.
This isn't like trades for Davante Adams, Russell Wilson, and Deshaun Watson; Mayfield will be available at a cut-price.
Cleveland have backed themselves into a corner by making Mayfield so unhappy and then signing the deal mentioned above with Watson. Teams can now bide their time and force the Browns to accept less for a player with a high salary cap hit who has no intention of playing for them, even if Watson receives a suspension.
This makes any such trade a low-risk move for the Steelers, especially with it known how vital it is to have a quarterback you can rely on.
Mayfield has never touched the elite bracket in his time in the NFL, but he is serviceable, highly confident, and probably capable of producing more game-winning drives than Trubisky.
While Mayfield is likely to want a new contract wherever he ends up in a trade, the Steelers know they have a relatively risk-free move even if he is only there for a year. It isn't as if trading for Mayfield would immediately take them out of play for one of the outstanding QB candidates in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Waiting for the 2023 NFL Draft:
The class of 2022 isn't a vintage one for quarterbacks, hence why there hasn't yet been a rush to trade up in the draft order.
It's expected that Seattle will do so to secure Malik Willis, but for a team that is so far back in the draft, there isn't the guaranteed level of quality there to take the gamble.
However, 2023 is an entirely different story, with the quarterbacks on offer in one year of a much higher standard.
C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young are both potential franchise talents at the position, and teams will be fighting to draft one of the two following years.
Just announced: Alabama QB Bryce Young wins the 2021 Heisman Trophy, beating Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson, Pitt’s Kenny Pickett and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud. Young is the first Alabama QB to win the award.
It may be difficult to envisage the Steelers in such a lowly position where they could draft one of Stroud or Young, but the price of trading up will be considered far more worthwhile than in 2022.
In Trubisky, the Steelers feel like they have a player who has solidified the position for one season.
He is reliable and won't cause too many problems for the locker room, and his two-year contract means he would be an invaluable asset in the 2023 season if the Steelers draft one of Stroud, Young, or even Phil Jerkovec.
With so much more depth at the position in next year's class, it makes perfect sense to wait, especially with the Steelers not in a position where they are on the cusp of a Super Bowl and need a veteran QB to take them over the line.
They aren't the Los Angeles Rams of 12 months ago and thus can afford to be patient at the position. This is something that will be rewarded if they get a run at one of the more naturally gifted quarterbacks on offer next year.