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There may be some lingering questions about whether Mitch Trubisky can read a defense, but he can read a room.
Trubisky came to the line of scrimmage and assessed his career path this week.
He took the check-down that made sense for Trubisky and for the Steelers.
The resulting two-year contract extension secures a valuable role for the QB and continuity in the quarterback room for the team.
It’s a direction in which the Steelers have wanted to head since they determined last season Trubisky was much better suited to handle a backup role than he was to start.
The question was, would Trubisky acquiesce?
He’ll turn 29 in August, and with 55 career starts under his belt he could be forgiven for thinking he’s still capable of being a QB1 somewhere if not with the Steelers.
Perhaps he’ll be that again somewhere eventually.
But with Kenny Pickett having taken over last season Trubisky is unlikely to get another such shot in Pittsburgh unless Pickett succumbs to a long-term injury.
Trubisky could have responded by throwing a fit and eventually securing his release. Mike Tomlin, after all, wants volunteers, not hostages. If you want out you can get out. It’s happened before and it’ll probably happen again.
A lot of people seemed convinced Trubisky reacting in such a fashion was a foregone conclusion in the wake of losing the starting job to Pickett last October.
But Trubisky opted to accept the reality of his situation.
Just as Mason Rudolph had done when he returned to the Steelers as QB3.
Both found a way to remove emotion from the equation and made business decisions that have a chance to pay off for both parties involved.
Now that they have, the Steelers have a QB room that consists of three players who have started and won in the NFL.
They’re the only team in the AFC North Division that can make such a claim.
The Ravens’ depth chart at the position, according to ESPN.com, consists of Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown.
The Bengals have Joe Burrow, Trevor Siemian and Jake Browning.
The Browns have Deshaun Watson, Joshua Dobbs and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
The two teams that played in the Super Bowl last season, Kansas City and Philadelphia, can’t make that claim. Both the Chiefs and Eagles have established backups, Blaine Gabbert in Kansas City and Marcus Mariota in Philadelphia, but both teams are guessing at No. 3.
And then there are the Green Bay Packers.
The combined resumes of Jordan Love, Sean Clifford and Danny Etling include 10 career games played, an 0-1 record as a starter, 50 completions on 83 attempts, three touchdown passes and three interceptions (all from Love).
The San Francisco 49ers and Brock Purdy reminded everyone last season how important it can become to have multiple options at the most important position on the field.
In the event it eventually comes to that for the Steelers this season, they’re three deep.