Pittsburgh — After two dismal seasons, quarterback Mitch Trubisky, the former No. 2 overall draft pick, will be available for free agency after being dismissed by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday.
After signing a contract with the Steelers in March 2022, Trubisky was given the opportunity to take Ben Roethlisberger’s place in retirement. Before being benched in favor of rookie Kenny Pickett, Trubisky started four games. This season, when replacing an injured Pickett, Trubisky struggled once more. He lost starts against New England and Indianapolis and was eventually replaced by third-stringer Mason Rudolph.
Over the next two seasons, Trubisky’s release will free up around $11.5 million in salary cap room.
Along with Pressley Harvin III, a punter, and offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, Pittsburgh made a number of other cuts in an apparent attempt to free up cash prior to the start of free agency.
With Trubisky gone, the only quarterback under contract for the Steelers for the upcoming season is Pickett. Although coach Mike Tomlin stated the organization is interested in having Rudolph, who won three games as a starter to help the Steelers to the playoffs, return to compete with Pickett during training camp, Rudolph is scheduled to become a free agency in March.
As a starter for the Steelers, Trubisky finished 2–5 with eight touchdowns and ten interceptions in his passing career. Although he provided Pittsburgh with an athletic presence in the pocket, the Steelers were compelled to look elsewhere due to his dubious decision-making and subpar mechanics, which were problems that dogged him early in his career in Chicago.
After being selected by the Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft, the 29-year-old Trubisky played four seasons with the team. He then spent a season backing up Buffalo before attempting to restart his career with the Steelers.
After his tantrum late in a Jacksonville loss, Okorafor was benched midway through the season, making his exit all but certain. Broderick Jones was a rookie first-round pick. After being selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2018 draft, Okorafor started 59 games for them.
The 26-year-old earned a $29.25 million, three-year contract in 2022 after showing promise on occasion.
However, Okorafor’s time was limited when Pittsburgh signed rookie left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and drafted Jones with the 14th overall choice in the 2023 draft. Okorafor said after Pittsburgh’s season ended with a first-round playoff loss to Buffalo that he wouldn’t have signed the new contract if he thought he wouldn’t be with the team through the end of it.
“I probably wouldn’t have chosen to come back here if I knew that was going to be the case,” Okorafor stated in January. “There’s nothing you can do about it at this time.”
Harvin, a 2021 seventh-round selection, had trouble staying consistent in his three seasons with the Steelers. He averaged 43.7 yards per punt in 47 games with Pittsburgh, but rather than bring him back to play the final year of his four-year deal, the Steelers instead will head into the offseason looking for a new punter.
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