Madden Monday: Mitch Trubisky could be biggest factor if Steelers contend for playoffs

During many of our “Madden Monday” podcasts throughout this NFL offseason, Mark Madden and I have both expressed our skepticism about the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.

But in this week’s edition, Madden advanced an optimistic scenario. And it has to do with new quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

“Do you know the one factor that could make the Steelers a playoff team? It’s if Trubisky realizes his potential as a No. 2 overall pick all these years later. While that may seem dumb, I wouldn’t entirely rule it out either,” Madden said.

From Madden’s point of view, it’s up to Trubisky to live up to the tools he showed at North Carolina when the Chicago Bears decided to pick him second overall in 2017.

“At one time, somebody thought enough of him to pick him No. 2 overall. And he got Chicago to the playoffs two years out of four,” Madden continued. “He obviously didn’t live up to what was expected when he was drafted. But I think he has gotten a bit of a bum rap in terms of how bad he is. He’s not that bad.”

My counter to that is that I never believed Trubisky was worthy of being the No. 2 overall pick in the first place. And maybe his production — or, at times, lack thereof — is more an indictment of the scouting of Trubisky, than the player himself.

Madden disagrees, but that doesn’t necessarily change his logic.

“Let’s say he was the first pick of the second round then,” Madden countered. “If he lives up to that potential, I’d be really happy with that.”

Fair enough. But if the Steelers do sneak into the playoffs, I think other factors outside of their own locker room may come into play just as much. For instance, how long new Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson gets suspended by the NFL and, potentially, those four solid teams in the AFC West cannibalizing each other and suppressing each others’ records. Even if that happens, though, Madden sees the Steelers falling just short of a third-straight playoff season.

“I don’t think the Steelers will get the seventh playoff spot. But I think they’ll be in it until Week 16 or 17,” Madden concluded.

Also in the podcast, Madden and I discuss the Penguins, the state of the Eastern Conference and North Carolina’s defeat of Duke in the Final Four. That loss ended the coaching career of Blue Devils legend Mike Krzyzewski.

“Not only did North Carolina thoroughly ruin Krzyzewski’s final season by beating him in the final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium and eliminating them in the NCAAs. I think you could make the argument they ruined Krzyzewski’s career,” Madden said. “Because that’s the thing that people will most talk about with Krzyzewski’s career — how it ended.”

Listen: Tim Benz and Mark Madden talk Steelers in 2022, Penguins and Coach K’s career ending