Tim Benz: Some perspective before we lose perspective on Steelers backup QB talk

Since we’ve spent most of one week of our lives arguing about Steelers backup quarterbacks here in Pittsburgh, let’s do a little comparative analysis.

We could probably extend this experiment throughout the NFL and reach a similar conclusion. But for the sake of avoiding a granular discussion like third QB comps and making it even more mind numbing, let’s limit our scope to looking at the four reigning division champions from the AFC.

In Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes’ backups are Blaine Gabbert and Shane Buechele. In Cincinnati, Joe Burrow’s backups are Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning.

The reserves behind Josh Allen in Buffalo are Kyle Allen and Matt Barkley. Trevor Lawrence’s in Jacksonville are C.J. Beathard and Nathan Rourke.

I offer those names as points of comparison for any Steelers fans who are griping about Pittsburgh retaining both Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph behind starter Kenny Pickett this year.

For those who say that either or both of those quarterbacks aren’t good enough to be where they are on Pittsburgh’s depth chart, which of those other second-stringers is significantly better than Trubisky, and which third-stringer are you sure is better than Rudolph?

I can’t find one in either case — and I’m someone who doesn’t think either Trubisky or Rudolph is all that great. Yet I’d take Trubisky over all those other second-stringers and Rudolph over all the third-string guys.

And remember, these are all defending division champions we are talking about. These are all teams that should have AFC Championship Game aspirations — if not the Super Bowl. Yet, these are the quarterbacks those franchises are willing to ride with if their star starters should go down at any point this season.

Would you feel better as a Steelers fan if Pickett went down for an extended stretch and you had to turn to any one of those guys before Trubisky as the No. 2 and Rudolph as the No. 3? I wouldn’t.

Now, regarding those who are complaining about whatever these two end up making against the salary cap, I see the premise of that concern a little more easily. Beathard makes the most of those No. 2 QBs at $2 million on the cap. The rest are in the neighborhood of $1 million each. Meanwhile, that’s roughly where Rudolph will probably be as the third guy in Pittsburgh.

Even after Trubisky’s extension Thursday, which was primarily given to spread out his cap hit this year, he’ll still likely be the most expensive backup QB of that bunch.

I get it.

But keep in mind Trubisky signed as the perceived starter before Pickett was even drafted. So that’s why his contract had been $10 million against the cap for 2023 in the first place. None of those other QBs were brought into those cities under such a circumstance.

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As for Rudolph, the only one of those third QBs who is older than him and was drafted close to as high as him is Barkley, who is making $1.025 million against the cap. That’s a number that’ll probably end up being in the same neighborhood as Rudolph’s.

Yet no one seemed to be complaining about Trubisky being a $10 million hit two months ago when free agency opened. All I heard was how great it was that the Steelers were being “so aggressive” in free agency.

Which, let’s admit it, was true, but nowhere near as hyped up as Steelers Twitter made it out to be. The Steelers bought in bulk on the free agent market. They weren’t high-end shopping. Could they have been if they had just kept Rudolph for slightly more at the start of free agency and traded or released Trubisky to save $8 million on the cap back then?

Yeah. Maybe. But I doubt it.

Would they have won the Javon Hargrave sweepstakes if they did that? Unlikely. Would they have outbid Detroit to keep Cameron Sutton? Eh, probably not — knowing that they could still get Patrick Peterson.

It’s not like the first wave of inside linebackers who went off the market before general manager Omar Khan signed Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb were all that expensive. With the exception of Tremaine Edmunds, they all went way under market projections. Yet the Steelers went bargain shopping at that position anyway.

So I think the hindsight evaluation of what could’ve been done with Trubisky’s contract if the Steelers had decided to keep Rudolph as the No. 2 in the first place is a bit pie-in-the-sky thinking. I’m pretty sure Khan and coach Mike Tomlin were of the belief Rudolph would find a home as a No. 2 somewhere else as well and would’ve seen keeping him as a No. 3 as a luxury they couldn’t afford back in March.

But now they can because with whatever money they save on a Trubisky restructure, what are they really going to go out and get at this point on the free agent market? A veteran pass rusher?

OK. Sure. Hopefully. But they would’ve been able to get a guy like that in July or August whether they had both backup QBs on the roster or not. Having a starting QB on the second year of an entry-level contract affords for this kind of flexibility.

Those worried about Trubisky not being worth the extra two years on his contract and the $33 million price tag floated all over Twitter need not fret.

The #Steelers gave QB Mitch Trubisky a 2-year extension which means he’s now under contract for 3 years and $19.4M, sources say. Including upside, Trubisky can earn a total of $33M over the length of the contract. A solid payday for a valued part of the QB room. https://t.co/NSiSKZu5cD

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 18, 2023

I’m sure they can figure a way around Trubisky’s cap number in 2024-25 just like they did in ‘23. And, based on the bonuses Ian Rapoport alluded to in breaking the news of his contract, that means Trubisky is not going to make that full amount unless he’s playing a lot and playing well because he has either relieved or replaced Pickett.

And at that point, the strategy of keeping him would’ve proven worthwhile.

There are three kinds of people in this world that you never want to pay until you need them. Then you want the best ones possible: lawyers, insurance agents, and backup quarterbacks.

Having two good ones on retainer — if you can afford them — isn’t a bad idea.