Steelers News

Rooney: Steelers Plan to Bring Mitch Trubisky Back in 2023

Published

1 year ago

January 27, 2023

Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II said the team intends to keep Mitch Trubisky as the team’s backup quarterback for 2023, despite a hefty salary cap hit.

Trubisky, who lost his starting job to Kenny Pickett in the middle of the team’s Week 4 game against the New York Jets in 2022, is scheduled to count for $10.6 million toward the Steelers’ 2023 salary cap. The team could save $8 million of that by releasing or trading him.

But Rooney said his intention is for Trubisky to stay and continue to serve as Pickett’s backup, a role that necessitated him being called into duty for three games down the stretch run.

“I expect Mitch will be on the roster next year and be an effective backup if we need him,” Rooney said to KDKA-TV on Thursday. “I think he showed that he can be that. We can win with him.”

Trubisky led the Steelers to wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6 and Carolina Panthers in Week 15 while filling in for Pickett, but his three interceptions proved costly in the team’s two-point loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14.

Fellow backup Mason Rudolph is not under contract for 2023, and the Steelers will obviously need someone to back up Pickett. Trubisky’s salary could be renegotiated or his contract extended if the team wants to reduce his cap hit for 2023.

Pickett credited his two veteran backups for their professionalism and willingness to help him throughout his rookie season.

“I couldn’t ask two guys that really just helped me week in, week out. Every time I came off the field, like Mitch would have something, Mason would have something,” Pickett said to Pat McAfee last week. “We would all communicate on how we should attack the next series. Really grateful for how they treated me and brought me into this team.”

The Steelers are bringing back offensive coordinator Matt Canada, at least in part to keep things easy for Pickett’s development, and having a familiar and friendly face as a backup, could be part of that line of thinking, as well.