Steelers announced Mitch Trubisky departure after facing…….
Getty Las Vegas Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly.
Rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell is entering a pivotal stretch. He has three more games to prove to the Las Vegas Raiders that he deserves a chance to be the starting quarterback next season.
Though he’s coming off a four-touchdown performance with a 120.7 pass waiting against the Los Angeles Chargers, he still hasn’t done enough to solidify himself as a franchise quarterback. Regardless of what the Raiders decide to do, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell sees the team moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo and bringing in a new veteran quarterback. He specifically mentioned Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky as a logical fit due to his ties to Raiders interim general manager Champ Kelly.
“Trubisky could be a bridge option to a rookie or backup to O’Connell,” Barnwell wrote in a December 21 column.
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Trubisky was the No. 2 overall pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft when Kelly was the assistant director of player personnel. He was there for all four of Trubisky’s seasons with the team. Barnwell gave further details on what he expects Las Vegas to do at quarterback.
“A lot depends on the final three weeks,” Barnwell wrote. “If O’Connell plays well and Pierce wins the interim job, the Raiders might talk themselves into moving forward with the Purdue product for 2024 and re-evaluating after that season, which would probably mean signing a veteran backup like Trubisky. If not, well, what happens next depends on who the Raiders hire to take over the coach and general manager roles and how much leash they’d have to rebuild the organization.”
Mitch Trubisky Shouldn’t Be a Starter
Despite his status as a former No. 2 pick and a Pro Bowler in 2018, Mitch Trubisky shouldn’t be a starting quarterback on an NFL team. He had a chance to start for the Steelers this season but went 0-2 and was recently benched in favor of Mason Rudolph after throwing four touchdowns to five intercpetions.
Trubisky also started five games last season and threw four touchdowns to five interceptions. He may not even have much upside as a backup considering he hasn’t played well for the Steelers when taking over for the injured starter. Now, Champ Kelly should know Trubisky better than most and could know how to put him in a position to succeed. However, he should only be brought in to compete for a backup spot and shouldn’t be in the running to start.
