NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mitch Trubisky had so much fun working with Brian Daboll in Buffalo that his decision on where to go this offseason in free agency was a “no-brainer.”
Yes, the quarterback could stay in Buffalo backing up Josh Allen with the Bills. Or, Trubisky could reunite with Daboll in his role as the Titans’ new offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Shea Tierney in Tennessee and help mentor another young quarterback in Cam Ward.
“It was a tough decision, but in the end I felt like it was right for me and my family just to take this opportunity to come and really reunite with Dabes and Shea,” Trubisky said Thursday.
Trubisky worked with Daboll for only the 2021 season when Daboll was the Bills’ coordinator in Buffalo. Trubisky appeared in six games and completed six of eight passes with one touchdown that season as a backup.
But that one season impressed upon Trubisky just how player-friendly Daboll’s offensive scheme is with the coach calling plays and concepts that the quarterback likes.
“It’s just evolved over the years, and it has been proven everywhere he’s been that they put up points and it is very friendly for the quarterback,” Trubisky said. “So you just got to dive in, know the execution, go out there (and) find completions, and it’s a really fun system to play in.”
With the Titans bringing in their second new head coach in three seasons in Robert Saleh along with revamping the coaching staff, having a backup quarterback familiar with Daboll’s offensive scheme was why Tennessee went after Trubisky.
Saleh called Trubisky a “calming presence.”
“He’s been with (Daboll), he understands the system, he can speak Daboll’s language and kind of translate it for the guys that are in there,” Saleh said. “He’s a tremendous help both on and off the field.”
Trubisky is going into his 10th season in the NFL, and a man who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft by Chicago is familiar with the pressure Ward faces being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 draft. Trubisky also has become comfortable being a backup since his first season in Buffalo in 2021.
“I’m at the point in my career where I feel like I have a lot to offer as a mentor and Cam being young, we’ve had a great relationship so far and I’m really looking forward to helping him in any way I can and just take the next step,” Trubisky said.
Assessing Ward
The quarterback was tracked in three practices open to reporters this week completing 32 of 63 passes with three touchdowns and two interceptions. As a rookie, Ward completed 59.8% of his passes throwing for 3,169 yards with 15 TDs and seven interceptions with only one pick over his final nine games.
Saleh said he thinks Ward has been great through the offseason program. The Titans wrap up with their mandatory minicamp next week. Saleh said this is the time of year for Ward to test what he can and can’t do learning a new offensive scheme.
“I’ll put myself out there,” Saleh said. “I think it’s very safe to say that we’ve got a really good quarterback and we’re in really good hands.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press
