While speaking with reporters at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday, Mitch Trubisky revealed that he has a consistent three-person group chat with fellow former Steelers quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph.
“I talk to them every week,” Trubisky said after his Buffalo Bills concluded a joint practice with the Steelers. “They actually asked me how Pittsburgh was. I thought they had my location for a second. As soon as I landed, it was, like, ‘How’s Pittsburgh treating you?’ I was like, ‘Yo, you guys gotta chill.’ But they’re doing good. We stay in contact. We’ve got a great relationship.”
Wow. I wonder what the screenshots of that chat thread look like. I’m willing to bet there might be some salty back-and-forth after any game the Steelers lose this year.
Let’s be honest. All three of those men may be inclined to harbor some resentment toward the Steelers. After all, Trubisky signed with Pittsburgh in March of 2022, only to see the organization draft Pickett out of Pitt in the first round six weeks later.
Rudolph saw his shot at succeeding Ben Roethlisberger cut off by both Pickett and Trubisky. Then Rudolph was turned loose into free agency by the Steelers — for a second time — despite saving the team at the end of the 2023 season with a three-game win streak after Trubisky and Pickett plodded to a 7-7 record.
Pickett lost his starting job to Rudolph because of injury, then ostensibly saw it given to Russell Wilson in the offseason.
Just don’t expect Trubisky to show any bitterness publicly.
“It was a good two years. I think I learned a lot,” Trubisky said. “It was tough for me personally, but I don’t have any hard feelings about it whatsoever. That’s just part of this journey. Sometimes, you’re going to have ups and downs.”
That move brought him back to Buffalo. The Bills signed Trubisky in 2021 after the Chicago Bears allowed him to leave in free agency. Trubisky was given the task of backing up starting QB Josh Allen. That’s the role Trubisky has reclaimed now.
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Trubisky said he is expecting to see lots of playing time Saturday night in his return to Acrisure Stadium, as Allen will play limited reps, if at all. But Trubisky isn’t hesitant about a quick return to Pittsburgh, even after things ended so poorly for him here last year.
“It won’t be weird. Once the ball is snapped, It’s just football,” Trubisky said. “(Playing) is always a positive thing. Put some good drives together, continue to get better, and continue to build chemistry with the guys. I’m looking forward to it. Playing football is always fun to me. So however much I play, I’m looking forward to it.”
Trubisky never got to play on that field as much as he anticipated when he signed a two-year contract on March 16, 2022. Pickett was drafted shortly thereafter, and Trubisky was benched four games into his first season.
When Pickett got injured last season and the team turned to Trubisky instead of Rudolph at first, the franchise went from 7-4 to 7-7 after losing three horrible games to Arizona, New England and Indianapolis. Trubisky finished the year with four touchdowns, five interceptions and a passer rating of just 71.9.
“Maybe it wasn’t necessarily a good fit,” Trubisky said. “I probably didn’t do what I needed to do on my end to be successful here. But there’s a lot of pieces and things that go into it. I always look back on it as a positive experience and move forward.”
Not a good fit? Or was it just bad timing with Pickett available to be drafted from the college just up the road?
“That’s just how it goes down,” Trubisky replied. “You think you’re going to be there and (be) the guy. Then somebody gets drafted, and that’s just how it works out. But you make great relationships. You just live and learn. You keep going. You keep trying to get better and grow as a player. So it wasn’t the right spot, fit for me, timing-wise. But it’s nice looking back on it, and now I have a bunch of great relationships coming back here and seeing these guys.”
That’s an extremely mature response. One that is 100% consistent with the professional way Trubisky handled himself with the media and fans during his tumultuous two years here.
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Man, I’d still like to see that text thread, though. Wouldn’t you?
Is Matt Canada welcome to join the chat? How about Diontae Johnson?
No? Too awkward?
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.