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On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the biggest offseason signings in Mitch Trubisky. The Steelers are looking at their first season without Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback since 2003. Trubisky has made some fans excited, but others, not so much.
One individual who falls into the camp of not being excited about Trubisky is ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, who happens to be a life-long Steelers fan. Smith spoke openly on Tuesday's episode of First Take about the lack of excitement the 27-year-old brings him. Smith said:
“I haven't gotten over the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers got Mitchell Trubisky. I’m trying to recover from that. We all know I'm a Steelers fan. We know I'm no fan of Trubisky’s. He’s not a scrub. He just doesn't move me. And it’s hard. “Well, I will say this. Trubisky is 29-21 as a starter. And he did take a team coached by Matt Nagy to two playoff appearances. So we can't ignore that. He's definitely better. He's definitely better than Mason Rudolph."
After Smith shared his views on Trubisky, he turned his attention to Dwayne Haskins, the 2019 first-round pick who is the Steelers' third-string quarterback. Smith advised him to look for work elsewhere because his career as a signal-caller isn't happening. Smith said:
"And Dwayne Haskins. I know you've got a $2.5 million offer. You might want to start looking for a new career. I mean you couldn’t, you can't get ahead of Mason Rudolph in the NFL. Quarterbacking is not a part of your future Dwayne Haskins. I mean, you can't be outplayed by Mason Rudolph and now Mitch Trubisky. I just don't even know what to say to you.”
Mitch Trubisky has a lot of pressure to succeed in 2022
Trubisky will be on his third team in six seasons in 2022. Trubisky had a below-average rookie season, throwing seven touchdowns in 12 starts. He made strides in 2018, making the Pro Bowl.
However, he regressed in 2019 and 2020 before spending 2021 as a backup to Josh Allen. Despite the rocky trajectory his career has been on, some, including NFL Network's Kay Adams, have stood up for Trubisky.
Trubisky may have to compete with Rudolph or a rookie in 2022. If he struggles or fails to get the starting job, Trubisky could see his chances at being a full-time NFL starter come to an end.
He faces as much pressure as any quarterback in the NFL this upcoming season.
