Top 10 reasons why the Mitch Trubisky acquisition works for the Steelers

Unlike some Steelers fans, I’m not mad at the Mitch Trubisky signing at all. He was always in the realistic Steelers’ replacement discussion along with Jimmy Garoppolo, who would have required a trade of draft picks and/or players, or Jameis Winston, who is coming off of a serious knee injury and is only two years removed from a 30-interception campaign. Teddy Bridgewater is not durable enough for the AFC North, so there’s that.

Now let’s get straight to it. These are the top 10 reasons why Mitch Trubisky makes sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

10. Even his name has a Pittsburgh ring to it
The name which seems to resonate with if not originate from Bulgaria, sounds so Pittsburgh. Following Roethlisberger, Trubisky just sounds kind of right.

9. Hunger Game
The hunger is real and raw with Mitch Trubisky, a former starter who rode the bench last year with the Buffalo Bills. Trubisky now has a realistic shot of being the next Steelers starting quarterback. The Steelers want Haskins and Rudolph to compete with him. Trubisky comes with more of a “bring it, don’t sing it” attitude.

8. Steelers Toughness
Given his scrambling acumen, Trubisky is not scared to stick his nose in there to get the tough yards needed to move the chains. Imagine how his toughness quotient rises as he’s exposed to the Steelers culture up-close.

7. Trubisky took “Da Bears” to the playoffs two out of the four seasons that he was there
Let’s face it, the Chicago Bears have not been a factor in the NFL, no less the NFC North, over the past 5-10 years. The glimmer of light that they did manage to enjoy happened on Trubisky’s watch. The Bears did have strong defense and running game to support Trubisky during those two playoff campaigns. Well, the Steelers have a pretty solid defense led by reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, T.J. Watt, and a young offense with Swiss-Army-Knife (runner/receiver/pass-rush protector) running back Najee Harris as the fulcrum.

6. Tomlin and McDermott were college teammates at William and Mary
It’s plausible to think that Tomlin got the inside scoop on Trubisky’s viability as a starting NFL quarterback from his former college teammate and Trubisky’s most recent coach, Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills. McDermott had nothing to lose or gain in talking up Trubisky for that matter as Trubisky was a free-agent acquisition, not a trade.

5. Draft flexibility and unpredictability
Now that the Steelers have Trubisky in the fold, they don’t necessarily have to draft a quarterback in the first round, although they do reserve that option. They can now, seriously investigate O-line help, D-line help, as well as cornerbacker and linebacker help. The Steelers now have their Poker-Face on. Who knows what position they have as the top priority in their War Room?

4. Cap-Space friendly deal
The Mitch Trubisky signing (per Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) is two years, $14.2 million, but he could earn as much as $26.2. This has continued to allow the Steelers to pursue players early in the NFL’s “Free Agency Frenzy!” They had enough cap space to actively pursue a number of other players to improve their roster, and likely are not finished.

3. Mobility
Trubisky has rushed for more than 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns in approximately four years as a starting NFL QB. He will allow Matt Canada to delve deep into his playbook and keep defenses off-balance and reactionary.

2. Ball Protection
Trubisky has close to a 2:1 Passing TD to interception ratio (64 – 38) during his career that includes more than 10,000 yards passing. Again, I’m not mad at that. He only lost 10 of 27 fumbles during his 5-year career. The Steelers may, however, have to work with him on reducing the number of fumbles.

1. Proven Commodity at QB
Trubisky has started most of the games in the first four years of his NFL career. He had a 29-21 record, protected the ball, qualified for the playoffs twice, and competed in a tough division that included Aaron Rodgers’ Packers. Any rookie quarterback the Steelers may draft lacks in these departments on an NFL level.

Trubisky’s prior NFL work is on tape, and I think the Steelers can take what they’ve seen of Trubisky’s skill set at face value, sprinkle a little bit of Steelers “sauce” on him, and anticipate rolling out the best version of himself in NFL stadiums this coming season.

I feel this is a safe move that allows Colbert and Tomlin to now focus on finding the Steeler’s next franchise quarterback in Round 1 or 2 of this year’s NFL draft. Trubisky is a solid bridge that will continue the Steelers’ stability who could surprise even more than expected.

What are your thoughts on the Trubisky acquisition and the 10 points outlined above? Make sure you leave your thoughts in the comments below.