NFL Insider Believes Steelers' Extension Of Mitchell Trubisky Saved Him From Being Released

Mitch Trubisky's tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers has likely not gone the way he initially anticipated. After former quarterback and all-time great Ben Roethlisberger retired after 18 seasons with the black and gold, Trubisky jumped on a deal with the hopes of taking Roethlisberger's place. The former second overall pick signed on the first day of free agency with the Steelers. Just a few weeks later, however, the Steelers picked up Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. From there, it's been a rollercoaster.

Trubisky's tenure as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback lasted from Latrobe to Week 4 of the regular season. After weeks of three and outs and a 1-2 start, Trubisky needed an early lead against the New York Jets to redeem himself. Regardless of if, the rumored spat between Diontae Johnson and Trubisky was in fact true, Trubisky's time was up at QB1. Pickett entered at halftime and the franchise didn't look back.

Most Thought That Trubisky's Time Was Up With The Steelers

Trubisky proved to be a high-quality backup, shown by his Week 6 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That being said, it's hard to justify spending significant money on a backup quarterback. This offseason, many anticipated that they had seen the last of the quarterback in Pittsburgh. That is, until General Manager Omar Khan revealed on The Pat McAfee Show that they were working on an extension. 

"We feel good about our quarterback room, so that was an important piece. We got obviously, Kenny Pickett's our starter and we feel really good about Mitch Trubisky in the role he's in, and he feels good about it." 

Later that day, the Steelers agreed to a two-year extension with Trubisky, making him under contract for three years and $19.4 million. Trubisky now has a 2023 base salary $1.08 million with a signing bonus of $6.92 million. In addition to sticking to the original $8 million he was owed this year, he's agreed to $5.25 million and $6 million in 2024 and 2025, respectively. 

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Trubisky may have been cut if he didn't accept the deal. 

"It appears Trubisky accepted the two extra years to avoid being cut before making $8 million in 2023, with little chance of seeing that kind of money elsewhere...

3. 2023 incentives: Up to $4.25 million, based on a combination of playing time and qualifying for the playoffs and/or the Pro Bowl.

4. 2024 90-man offseason roster bonus: $1 million.

5. 2024 base salary: $4.25 million.

6. 2025 90-man offseason roster bonus: $1 million.

7. 2025 base salary: $5 million."

This makes sense, as Trubisky is giving away two years of freedom and solidifying his role as a long-term backup only for his salary to decrease in the next two years. While there was a significant number of quarterback-needy teams this offseason, no one came knocking on the veteran quarterback's door for a starting position. With lack of interest, Trubisky's best option was to secure his $8 million for 2023 and agree to the next two years with an average base of $5.625 million.

While this wasn't Trubisky's original plan, it's not a bad gig for the veteran, and he seems to be embracing his role. In a recent interview following OTA's, the quarterback spoke out on supporting Pickett in his starting role. 

"I just want to come back because me and Kenny have gotten so close. I want to help him in any way I can. Anything I can be for Kenny: a sounding board, an extra coach, extra eyes on the field. I will be there for him and he knows that."

While we're enthused to see Trubisky back with a team-player mentality, we hope that there are no hard feelings between the two parties with his new deal. What do you think, Steeler Nation? Was Trubisky given no choice?