Can quarterback Mitch Trubisky come to the Steelers' rescue again? - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — Trailing by two scores and facing third down from just outside the red zone in the third quarter of Sunday's loss, Mitch Trubisky dropped back and rifled a pass toward tight end Connor Heyward, threading it between converging Arizona Cardinals defenders as the blitz bared down on the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback.

Heyward couldn't corral the pass, and it hit the turf just a few inches to the right of the second-year player, who was steps away from the end zone when the ball arrived.

The pass, which traveled 23.9 air yards, had just a 28.3% probability to be completed, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. But the play — the incomplete pass notwithstanding — offered a glimpse into the kind of quarterback play the Steelers can expect from Trubisky as he prepares for his first uninterrupted stretch of multi-game starts since the start of the 2022 season. Quarterback Kenny Pickett is expected to be sidelined for 3-4 weeks following TightRope surgery on a right high ankle sprain, ushering Trubisky back into the spotlight.

While the Steelers are unanimous that Trubisky's inclusion won't affect the overall offensive approach, the former first-round pick's confidence and mentality might be the jolt the offense needs.

«I think he enjoys shot plays,» interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner said. «We're calling shots to take 'em, and so when you got guys like 14 [George Pickens] or 18 [Diontae Johnson] and guys that can make plays down the field, down the grass, for you, you want to take those shots. There is a personality there for him that's different than 8 [Pickett] just because they're different people. But from a game plan perspective, we're going to have the same approach.»

Once handcuffed by a conservative