For nearly two decades the one constant that was in place for the Pittsburgh Steelers was Ben Roethlisberger as the starting quarterback. That came to an end at the conclusion of the 2021 season when he rode off into the sunset of retirement.
The Steelers wasted no time finding his long-term replacement, as they used their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Kenny Pickett out of Pittsburgh. They also signed veteran Mitchell Trubisky to bridge the gap until Pickett was ready to take over as the starter.
That change occurred at halftime of their Week 4 matchup against the New York Jets. Pittsburgh inserted Kenny Pickett into the lineup at halftime of that game and he was starting in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills.
Continuity at the quarterback position is imperative and the Steelers have ensured they will have that, retaining offensive coordinator Matt Canada so that Pickett doesn’t have to learn a new system. The continuity on the entire depth chart is actually remaining, as the same quarterback room from last season will be returning.
After re-signing Mason Rudolph earlier this week, the Steelers are now working on an extension to keep Trubisky in the Steel City. General manager Omar Khan made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show and shared the news.
“We’re finishing up an extension with Mitch Trubisky,” Khan said. “We feel good about our quarterback room, so that was an important piece.
“Obviously, Kenny Pickett is our starter and we feel really good about Mitch Trubisky in the role he’s in. And he feels good about it. And we’ve added Mason Rudolph. So, we’re really excited about that QB room. So there it is, that’ll be done here shortly.”
Details of the extension weren’t disclosed, but Trubisky is heading into the second year of a two-year deal that he signed with the Steelers last year in free agency. He ended up appearing in seven games last season, making five starts.
Retaining him as the backup is a move that won’t garner too many headlines but is an important one. Having a capable backup quarterback is imperative if a team wants to find success should the starter be forced out of the lineup.
While Trubisky never lived up to the expectations of being selected No. 2 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, he can carve out a career as a solid backup. He has a lot of starting experience and should be able to keep the Steelers afloat should he be forced into the lineup at any point in 2023 and beyond.
