Mitch Trubisky has seen it all during his NFL career.
The Bills hurler might be a backup, but he is no stranger to the expectations thrust upon young, highly-touted QBs. In a past life, he was the phenom, a titan-like presence under center whose name lit up scouting reports.
Before his time as an understudy, Trubisky was a star, emerging — at least for a brief moment — as one of the league’s better young passers with the Bears.
With that, here’s what you need to know about Trubisky’s journey, a winding affair that brought him from the cusp of NFL stardom to the sidelines as a second-stringer.
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Mitch Trubisky career timeline
North Carolina, 2013-16
Trubisky shined in Chapel Hill, taking reins of the Tar Heels’ attack as a redshirt junior in 2016. In his one season as a starter, Trubisky completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,748 yards and 30 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He added an additional 308 yards and five rushing touchdowns on the ground, landing All-ACC third-team honors as a result. After his glistening campaign, Trubisky opted to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. He was summarily taken No. 2 overall by the Bears in the 2017 Draft after Chicago moved up one spot to select him. The trade saw Chicago send their No. 3 overall pick, a third-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and a future third-round pick to the 49ers.
Chicago Bears, 2017-2020
Trubisky spent four seasons in the Windy City, showcasing modest flashes of brilliance but largely falling short of his former employer’s expectations of its No. 2 pick.
Trubisky earned Pro Bowl honors in his second season after tallying 3,223 yards and 24 passing touchdowns while completing 66.6% of his passes. The Bears went 12-4 with Trubisky at the helm before falling to the Eagles in the wild-card game after Cody Parkey’s field goal clanked the crossbar twice.
However, that would prove the high-water mark of Trubisky’s Bears career. He floundered in his final two seasons in Chicago, struggling with consistency as the Bears tumbled down the standings.
Trubisky went 29-21 as the Bears starter, recording 10,609 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions.
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Buffalo Bills, 2021
Trubisky inked a one-year contract with the Bills for the 2021 season, serving as a backup for budding supernova Josh Allen. He made six appearances during the year, completing 6-of-8 passes for 43 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception.
Pittsburgh Steelers, 2022-23
Trubisky’s next stop on his NFL roadmap was Pittsburgh. He signed a two-year deal with the Steelers in 2022, setting up a QB battle with another new arrival: first-round hurler Kenny Pickett. Trubisky began the 2022 season as a starter but transitioned to the bench after a subpar showing in Week 4. Tomlin named Pickett the starter one week later.
Trubisky played sparingly across the remainder of his Pittsburgh tenure. He was released in Feb. 2024, having tallied 1,884 yards and eight touchdowns to 10 interceptions across 12 appearances.
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Buffalo Bills, 2024-present
A month after Trubisky’s Steelers release, he was picked up by Buffalo, who locked him down on a two-year contract. Trubisky played in nine games in 2024, most of which came during garbage time. He did garner big minutes during the Bills’ final game of the season, replacing Allen after he was rested following one snap. Trubisky went 19-of-26 for 179 yards and two touchdowns during his time under center in 2024.
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How old is Mitch Trubisky?
Trubisky is 30. He’ll turn 31 on Aug. 20. He’s currently the second-oldest quarterback on Buffalo’s depth chart, only bested by Mike White, who turned 30 on March 25. Allen (29, May 21, 1996) and Shane Buechele (Jan. 8, 1998) round out the list.
