Mitch Trubisky asked via text to congratulate Kenny Pickens for being drafted by the Steelers originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
When the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky in 2022 to a barren quarterback room then featuring Mason Rudolph and DeWayne Haskins, they appeared to be offering him a second chance to revive his career with a team to lead.
That changed quickly.
About six weeks later, in an even more barren quarterback draft class, the Steelers took the first one off the board with Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. Then, Trubisky realized he would be legitimately competing for his starting spot. in the shadow of a rookie who provided hope to bridge the gap of success between Ben Roethlisberger and success.
It doesn’t appear Trubisky was looped into that plan, as a recent report takes us back to that very night.
“Trubisky never stood a chance with the Steelers,” Gerry Dulac wrote for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. “Six weeks after he was signed to a two-year, $14.3 million contract in free agency in March 2022, the Steelers took Pickett with their No. 1 pick in the draft.
“That night, Trubisky was a little surprised by a text message that, among other things, asked him to text and congratulate the newest Steelers quarterback. No wonder he played as though he was always looking over his shoulder after that.”
Oof. That’s quite a demeaning text. It gives the energy of a parent telling their kid to say “please” and “thank you.” But that song shouldn’t sound too unfamiliar to Trubisky.
The Bears signed Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon to a deal just before they traded up to select Trubisky in the 2017 NFL draft. Now, that’s a little different. Glennon wasn’t a solidified quarterback at that point. But the Bears did sign him to a lucrative deal (three years, $45 million) and by that point, he was only three years into his career.
Still, that’s never a tough pill to swallow for a quarterback trying to find his footing in a starting role again. And for Trubisky, that attempt with Pittsburgh recently ended, as the team cut ties with him.
In 18 games with the Steelers, Trubisky threw for 1,884 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He finished with a 77.6 passer rating over two seasons in Pittsburgh. His free agency venture will begin again when the new league year commences on March 13.
