Steelers fans wanted a big free agent splash, and they got it with Mitch Trubisky

Splashes may often be loud, wet and painful, but you know them when you hear, see and feel them.

The Steelers made one on Monday, the first day of legal tampering, when it was announced the team had reached an agreement on a two-year deal for free-agent quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

Wow.

And I said I’d believe it when I see it.

Now, I believe it.

The Steelers had more than their usual amount of cap space at the onset of free agency, and I sure wondered if they’d use it to be major players during the first wave when news is often fast and furious.

What did the Steelers do? Oh, they just used some of their money to sign the presumed heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger.

I mean, you spend years wishing the Steelers had more cap space. You spend many springs bemoaning the fact they’re never major players in free agency. Yet, the second they have the money to become major players, they use it on the most high-profile position in all of team sports.

No pressure, Mitch, none at all.

Obviously, there will be pressure on Trubisky to succeed. After all, it’s not every day one must try and replace a future Hall of Famer, and not just at any position, but at THE position.

However, there’s also pressure on the Steelers to find their next quarterback sooner rather than later. But even though they made a splash, they did it in the most practical way imaginable for what they’re trying to accomplish.

In other words, the Trubisky signing is risky in that the Steelers will have to pay him a decent wage to come in and be their starter, but it’s not going to break them and take up every last penny of cap space. Also, at just two seasons, the deal isn’t going to cripple Pittsburgh for years, should Trubisky not be able to make the prolonged leap from No. 2 overall pick in 2017 to franchise quarterback five or six years later. Lastly, Pittsburgh didn’t have to give up multiple first-round picks to obtain both Trubisky and any sort of baggage other than questions about his abilities, and Deshaun Watson wasn’t the only veteran quarterback who would have come to Pittsburgh with considerable baggage.

The Trubisky deal is out of character for the Steelers, but is it, really? When was the last time they had to address the quarterback position in a major way? Not since Roethlisberger was drafted, of course. As I always said, the Steelers weren’t going to go about finding Roethlisberger’s heir apparent, at least in a bold way, until he was gone.

Roethlisberger is now off in the sunset doing his retirement thing, and the Steelers have made their first bold move by signing Trubisky to be his realistic successor.

Wow, the Steelers really did make a loud and wet splash during the first wave of NFL free agency.

But will it be painful? I guess that’s up to Mitch Trubisky.