Mitch Trubisky Makes Steelers Super Bowl Hopes Even Stronger

The Pittsburgh Steelers latest chess move is a huge piece to their championship puzzle.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers' greatest asset this season is their second-year quarterback. It allows teams to bulk up the roster, not worry about keeping stars and opens the window for a Super Bowl run. 

But relying on Kenny Pickett to make a year two leap is a risk. NFL players go through their ups and downs, quarterbacks included. It's hard to imagine someone who's known for the work ethic Pickett has to fail, but it's not unheard of to see a rocky path. 

That path gets much smoother because of Mitch Trubisky, though. 

The Steelers took it as easy as possible on Pickett's year two transition. They kept offensive coordinator Matt Canada around and were willing to pay their backup, Trubisky, $10 million before his contract extension. 

Which surprised a lot of people. It made total sense for the Steelers to drop the cap hit of their QB2, but it didn't feel like a move Trubisky would be a fan of, especially if he was looking for a starting role elsewhere. 

He's not. After falling in love with the Steelers organization, he's changed his outlook on his role in the NFL, and entering the 2023 season is a major chess piece in the Steelers' road to victory - as a backup quarterback. 

"It’s the family atmosphere, it’s the teammates, it’s the people," Trubisky said about his extension. "It’s just a great fit for me and my family. We just loved everything about it. I love Coach T, Omar [Khan], Mr. Rooney and his family. It’s just a special place to be a part of."

The reason the Steelers wanted to keep Trubisky around this season was for his mentorship. They knew having a veteran behind Pickett was pay dividends when times got tough, and allow an experienced pair of eyes to add commentary to Pickett's development. 

Much like Charlie Batch and Brian St. Pierre did for Ben Roethlisberger, Trubisky and Mason Rudolph will do for Pickett. 

And Trubisky is embracing it all, giving it all that much greater of an impact. 

"We’ve got a really great quarterback room," Trubisky said. "I love having Mason back, too. We’re going to have a lot of fun and we’re going to get to work. Anything I can be for Kenny: a soundboard, an extra coach, extra eyes on the field, I’m going to be there for him and he knows that. I think that’s also why they wanted to have me back, to have me in that role and help any way that I can."

You want Kenny Pickett to succeed? Put everything around him to thrive on the field. 

The Steelers did that with Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson, Calvin Austin, Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and a new offensive line. 

You want Kenny Pickett to succeed? Give him veterans around him that he can learn from, lean on and work with, who genuinely care about his and the team's success. 

Trubisky will do that. 

It's as unselfish as it gets in the NFL to take on a role as another player's mentor. It's tough, especially as a former second-overall pick, to move past playing every weekend and more into helping the player in front of you. 

What Trubisky is willing to do is huge. It makes an instant impact on the outlook of the Steelers' future, and if they're hunting for a championship this season, Pickett having someone to lean on, who truly cares, is a major advantage. 

Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Camp Takeaways: A Lot of Changes for Steelers

Dan Moore Remains Steelers Starting LT Over Broderick Jones

T.J. Watt Absent From Steelers OTAs

Antonio Brown to Make Arena League Debut

Steelers Perfect Match is Still a Free Agent

• Subscribe to the All Steelers YouTube Channel