MARCH 7: Garafolo’s colleague Tom Pelissero reports the Trubisky deal is two years in length and has a base value of $5.25MM. $2.75MM in guaranteed money is in place for 2024, and he can raise the value of the pact to $8.45MM via playing time and win incentives. Trubisky’s deal is thus far more valuable than Kyle Allen’s from last season, and the latter will likely be headed elsewhere.
MARCH 6: After being released from the Steelers over three weeks ago, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is headed back to Buffalo, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Trubisky left the Bills two years ago in order to compete for the starting job in Pittsburgh, but after falling dramatically on the depth chart since then, Trubisky found himself a free agent. Tim Graham of The Athletic was the first to report progressing talks of a reunion earlier this afternoon. 
After leaving for the Steelers, Trubisky successfully won the starting job over then-rookie Kenny Pickett. In a Week 4 loss to the Jets, Trubisky was benched for the rookie out of Pitt and remained on the bench for most of the remainder of the year, except for two games during which Pickett was injured. This season, Trubisky was the first name called upon to start when Pickett got hurt again. He played in three consecutive games before eventually getting benched once again, this time in favor of Mason Rudolph.
During his previous stint in Buffalo, Trubisky signed knowing that he would serve as a backup to Josh Allen, resigning himself to a role learning under the same staff that molded Allen into an MVP candidate. He’ll return to the same role in 2024. Trubisky’s addition likely means the end of Kyle Allen‘s time in Buffalo. Allen made seven garbage-time appearances last year as the primary backup before heading to free agency this offseason. Practice squad reserve Shane Buechele was signed to a futures deal and should play a similar role next season.
The Bills also kept an important name in the secondary, signing safety Taylor Rapp to a three-year extension worth up to $14.5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Rapp, formerly a full-time starter as a second-round pick for the Rams, functioned as a third safety for the Bills in 2023, sitting behind the veteran pair of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. Rapp’s main playing time in Buffalo came as a starter in the four weeks that Hyde and Poyer missed due to injury.
With Hyde headed towards free agency and Poyer being released today, Rapp’s signing may deliver a glimpse of the Bills’ plans at safety moving forward. Some have even linked Buffalo to some of the best safety prospects in the draft like Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin or Miami’s Kamren Kinchens. Since both Hyde and Poyer will be 33 years old heading into the 2024 season, it makes sense that Buffalo is making plans to move on. Rapp represents one possible solution moving forward at 26 years old.
Finally, another reunion is happening in Buffalo, this one on special teams. Veteran punter Matt Haack signed a deal to return to Buffalo this year. Haack’s last full season came in 2022, when he served punting duties for the Colts, but he did play a game for the Browns this past year. The Bills re-signed current punter Sam Martin to a three-year, $6MM deal almost a year ago, so he’s still under contract for two more years.
Martin’s contract does have a potential out this offseason that would allow the team to save $1.25MM of cap space, so given the rest of their actions today, I wouldn’t rule out Haack coming in to replace Martin. For now, though, we’ll assume Haack is coming in to provide some camp competition for Martin this summer.
Trubisky pulling a Matt Barkley. There are worse jobs than being a guy the Bills like having around and not really needing to play quarterback.
Good for him collecting stress free huge roster paychecks. To think he was a top 10 pick just 7 years ago
And it wasn’t just any draft, it was the draft with Pat Mahomes.
And Watson. Insane
Cool Mitch is going back to where he was most successful. Er average. Er not lame. Er not completely terrible. It’s one of those . I’ll let you guys pick. When I saw Mitch was going to resign with an old team I threw up at first.
Lmao
Perhaps Trubisky has a hidden talent for shoveling snow that nobody is aware of.
One teams coal is another’s diamond…..
I would have thought Trubisky could only be viewed as the cavalry coming over the hill here in Pittsburgh. After a number of lackluster, poor starts by Pickett, Trubisky could only be an improvement
Jeez, was I wrong.
I know he’s going back to Buffalo to be a clipboard holder behind a great QB, but here’s hoping someone can alert him that consistently throwing into double and triple coverage isn’t a recipe for success
He looked sharper in the Bills offense, however limited than in Pittsburgh. Hoping he won’t ever be needed, but I do believe he’s better than Kyle Allen.
Water seeks its own level.
Sehome High Taylor Rapp get it kid Bham
Trubisky was raw when he was drafted. Very raw. He didn’t have many college starts. He has great athleticism and a strong arm, problem was his reads (couldn’t find the 2nd WR) and accuracy. I remember him throwing 2 INTs in a game, one he underthrew and one he overthrew. Pretty much sums him up as a QB. Over the years he hasn’t improved. Reminds me of what Justin Fields will be.
Bears fans…compare Trubisky to Fields.
Is Fields a better bet as a reclamation project? If so, why?
Hard to say. Trubisky never figured out his reads or improved his accuracy. He also had a better team than Fields did the first 2 years. Will Fields improve? Who knows if the light will ever turn on? The coaches and GM are there everyday and see him in practice. If they want to trade him then that speaks volumes for his abilities.
Trubisky is a very good backup fit for the Bills behind Josh Allen. Trubisky can run the same plays with the threat to run. Of course he doesn’t have anything like the accuracy of Josh Allen, nor is he a runaway freight train like Allen (closest runner to Derrick Henry to throw a football) but he can run that kind of offense as well as any backup QB in the league. Tyrod Taylor would be okay as well, but Taylor is not coming back to Buffalo to sit on the bench.