Mitchell

Trubisky

Trubisky technically didn’t start the game, but he played all but one snap after Josh Allen handed off to James Cook on the first play of the game. The veteran threw most of his passes near the line of scrimmage, averaging just 4.8 yards per attempt, and was unable to complete any of his big deep shots down the field. He didn’t make any mistakes, which is one of the most important things you can ask of a backup quarterback, but the Bills obviously hope that Trubisky doesn’t need to take a meaningful snap in the postseason.

Nice. Trubisky may get extended playing time in Week 18 if the Bills, who have nothing to play for, bench Josh Allen. Trubisky, if he plays, will likely be asked to do what he did here: throw dumpoff passes and hand the ball off. He’s an unlikely source of fantasy value, though certainly not an unthinkable QB2 streamer in superflex leagues as the Bills finish off the season against the Patriots.

Beane did also caution that they won’t know for sure until they see Trubisky practice, so it can’t be ruled out. The 30-year-old backup injured his knee during the early portion of camp. If he’s unable to go, the Bills will likely go with Mike White as the backup to Josh Allen after White was signed to the practice squad by Buffalo on Tuesday.

Brown is the latest quarterback to join the Bills after the team lost backups Shane Buechele (neck) and Mitch Trubisky (knee) to injury. Trubisky is only expected to miss a few weeks, but while he’s out, Brown and Ben DiNucci will presumably compete for the Bills’ QB2 job. Brown was with the Raiders earlier this offseason and completed 1-of-3 passes for 24 yards in his only preseason contest while adding another five carries for 13 yards. Whether it’s Brown or DiNucci who wins the QB2 job, it’s safe to say the Bills hope neither has to sniff the field this season.

The preseason has been unkind to the Bills, as several key players have been injured. While the Bills hope Trubisky won’t have to see the field in too many contests, his absence undoubtedly hurts their quarterback depth behind Josh Allen. The Bills brought on Ben DiNucci last week after losing Shane Buechele to injured reserve and may now be looking at DiNucci opening the season as their QB2. While we don’t know how long Trubisky is expected to be out, it goes without saying that an injury to Allen would make for a massive downgrade to all fantasy assets who are relying on the Bills’ quarterback play.

The Athletic’s Tim Graham had reported earlier that the Bills and Trubisky were “in talks to reunite.” Now, Garafolo reports that the Bills have agreed to terms with the 29-year-old quarterback, bringing him back to Buffalo after two seasons with the Steelers. He served as Josh Allen’s backup in 2021 and will return to the role in 2024. Trubisky played in five games in 2023, starting two and throwing for 632 passing yards and four touchdowns with five interceptions. He was cut after the season, giving him the chance to join the Bills prior to free agency.

Trubisky served as Josh Allen’s backup in 2021. He parlayed his season on the bench in Buffalo into a gig as the Steelers’ bridge quarterback ahead of Kenny Pickett. He started seven games for Pittsburgh over two years with lackluster results. Trubisky threw for four touchdowns, five interceptions, and 1,884 yards on 287 attempts in Pittsburgh. He was released in February. At this point in his career, a stable backup job is a great outcome for Trubisky. Both he and the Bills will be motivated to get a deal done.

According to Spotrac.com, the Steelers will take a dead cap hit of just over $4.6 million to part ways with Trubisky. Trubisky was set to earn more than $7.5 million in 2024 if he remained on the roster, but the Steelers are more than ready to call it quits with the former No. 2 overall pick. In two seasons with the Steelers, Trubisky appeared in 12 games while throwing for 1,884-8-10 and completing 64.1 percent of his passes. A year behind Josh Allen in 2021 did little to advance Trubisky as a player, as he’ll now look to land a backup job elsewhere when free agency starts up next month.

Trubisky struggled throughout against a Colts defense that now leads the league in turnover differential, never posing a legitimate threat. He was gifted short field position for the two touchdown drives he led, the first off of a missed field goal from the Colts and the second off of a blocked punt that was recovered at the one. Trubisky was replaced by Mason Rudolph with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, providing Rudolph with just three pass attempts. Either way, it appears starter Kenny Pickett is nearing a return, which would make the discussion of who will be under center short lived. The Steelers fall to 7-7 and out of the playoff picture in the AFC, now needing to make up ground during the final three weeks of the NFL season. Up next is a home matchup with the Bengals in Week 16.

Pickett was expected to miss at least two games after undergoing ankle surgery following the Steelers’ Week 13 loss to the Cardinals, so this news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The Steelers will once again lean on Mitch Trubisky, as he’ll draw the start in Week 15’s tilt with the Colts, which should be far more favorable than last week’s matchup against the Patriots. Still, Trubisky often looked off-target and unwilling to throw the ball downfield in his last outing, which proved detrimental to George Pickens’ fantasy stock. Diontae Johnson should be treated as a WR3 this week, while Pickens is more of a WR4/WR5.