Week 4: How Early is too Early for Titans to Think About Mitch Trubisky?

I know I'm not the only one kicking the tires here. Cam Ward's performance against the New York Giants this past Sunday officially set the alarms ringing for a lot of folks paying weekly attention to the Tennessee Titans.

Seeing pieces on offense improve around him, as well as the defense as a unit holding up to keep Tennessee alive, exasperated just how poor Ward looked when it mattered against New York. His sole fourth quarter scoring drive was followed up by a game-sealing interception that lit this fuse in the first place.

So I'm here to rip the bandaid off and beg the question: How early is too early to think about Mitch Trubisky?

It's just Week 4, I know. Ward was taken first overall in last year's draft, I know. But the Titans are 0-3 right now, and increasingly, it appears to be a QB issue holding them back. It's worth gauging what Trubisky could bring as an emergency strarter, at the very least.

Analyzing Trubisky's latest starts

The 32-year old passer last took the field as a starter back in January of 2025. Heading the end of a successful Buffalo Bills season, Trubisky stepped in to spell superstar QB Josh Allen in a home duel with the New York Jets. It was a throwaway game, sure, but Trubisky looked excellent.

Passing 22/29 for 259 yards and four touchdowns, Trubisky posted a searing 142.1 QBR, doing exactly what was asked for him as a backup essentially cleaning up before closing shop.

QB Mitch Trubisky: Signed by Bills (previous team: Steelers) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Peering further back at a more consistent stretch as a starter, however, is less promising. In five scattered games as the go-to guy for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023, Trubisky passed for just four scores to five picks in total. He threw for a total of 632 yards and completed 62.6% of his passes.

Any metrics from Trubisky prior to that are hard to apply to his game right now. He looked properly fine (9/12 passing for 72 yards) through two games in the preseason. The veteran is what he is, but could he be better tha Ward right now? Would taking that chance even be worth it?

Would playing Trubisky be worth it for Titans?

It's definitely arguable that Trubisky could produce at a higher level than Ward. He's essentially been a game manager for hire since parting with Chicago after 2020, and for the most part, has done a fine job juggling the pieces.

His turnovers are worrying, but Ward's usual ability to take care of the ball is hard to trust when he looks downfield so little. That wasn't a worry in his rookie season, but we're looking at an entirely different player right now. He has to be judged as such.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws the ball to Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20). — Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws the ball to Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) during a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, Sep 27, 2026, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The primary worry is that playing Trubisky accomplishes little in the long run for Tennessee, and may even seem like an admittance of defeat for the Ward experiment. Although, it doesn't have to be that way.

In the best possible world, Trubisky checks in for a mid-season chunk, if not the rest of the 2026 campaign, to help Robert Saleh get his bearings early on. You get over the three-win hump that has brutalized the Titans for two straight years, and reward some of the veterans who signed on this past summer to contribute.

Ward was thrown into Tennessee as the desperately-needed answer in 2025, but with a little more security around him and a new system on the sidelines, he doesn't have to be that anymore. At least, he doesn't right now.

The Titans' offense ranks near the bottom of the league through three weeks, per John Glennon. The defense, on the other hand, is clicking in at 10th overall. If Saleh thinks Trubisky could have won even one of these past three games, he has to be in the conversation from here on out.

Not as a long-term answer, but as a do-or-die safety net right now.

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