Bills to Pay Mitch Trubisky Nearly as Much as Steelers

The new contract between the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Mitch Trubisky will pay him $5.25 million over two seasons and guarantee him $2.7 million in 2024, according to a report by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

That is nearly the amount that the Steelers would have paid Trubisky if he had remained on their roster in 2024. The Steelers shaved $2.9 million from their 2024 salary cap rolls by releasing Trubisky and incurred a dead cap charge of $4.6 million. So Trubisky will lose only $200,000 in actual cash for the 2024 season after being released by the Steelers.

The new contract will pay Trubisky $2.55 million in 2025, while he was set to become a free agent next offseason under his deal with the Steelers. There are also playing time incentives which could raise the total value of the contract to $8.45 million.

Trubisky was cut after a disastrous 2023 season in Pittsburgh. He filled in for Kenny Pickett three times when the Steelers’ starter left the game with an injury, and after Pickett suffered a significant ankle injury against the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 3, Trubisky became the Steelers’ starter.

Things didn’t go well for Trubisky or the Steelers, as the team lost to the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts in consecutive weeks, seeing their playoff hopes pushed to the brink. Trubisky was benched at the end of the Colts game in favor of Mason Rudolph and did not return to action in 2023. 

On the season, Trubisky completed 67 of 107 passes for 632 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. The Steelers lost all five games in which he appeared.

He now returns to Buffalo, where he served as the backup to Josh Allen in 2021. He appeared in six games that season, but threw just eight passes, completing six for 43 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Kyle Allen backed up Josh Allen in 2023, and did not throw a pass. Kyle Allen is set to become a free agent.

The Bills made a number of salary cap-clearing moves on Wednesday before signing Trubisky. They remain over the cap six days before the start of the new league year.