Copyright Heavy.
Considering the history between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs over the past several years, calling their Week 9 matchup just another regular-season game feels like an understatement. In an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports, Bills backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky doesn’t completely downplay the hype. “It’s a big matchup between two really good teams in the NFL. But at the same time, every week is a big matchup. Our mentality doesn’t change no matter who we’re playing,” Trubisky said. “We’re trying to go 1-0 this week. We’re trying to be the best we can possibly be, and we’re trying to be the most prepared team in the NFL.” Following their bye week, the Bills bounced back and crushed the Carolina Panthers 40-9. With such a huge lead, Bills starting quarterback Josh Allen exited the game early in the fourth quarter, and Trubisky took over. While the heart and soul of the Bills’ offense runs through Allen, Trubisky, who’s close friends with the league MVP off the field, is much more than a backup to his QB1. The No. 2 overall pick from the 2017 NFL draft is a crucial piece of Allen’s support system and preparation each week, and it’s a role the 31-year-old veteran has full-heartedly embraced. Bills QB Mitch Trubisky Stars in Progressive’s ‘The Back Up’ Campaign Trubisky appears in season 2 of Progressive’s “The Back Up” campaign, a commercial where he steps in to help a car full of people struggling to get their drive-thru order correct. While the comedic aspect “really felt out of my comfort zone,” he noted, the 31-year-old is a natural. “I’m honored they asked me to be a part of it,” Trubisky said. “I think that’s just a good reminder that things are going to pop up no matter what, but it’s just all about how you handle it.” The North Carolina alum spent the first four years of his NFL career as a starter with the Chicago Bears. After spending the 2021 season as Allen’s backup, Trubisky moved on to join the Pittsburgh Steelers as their new starting quarterback, but things didn’t quite work out. Between returning to Buffalo as a backup in 2024 and now highlighting that role in a national campaign, it could be a tough transition mentally. “That was kind of something I had to get over initially,” Trubisky admitted. “It was just like the ego piece of it. Like I was a starter before. Now, I’m a backup. “But honestly, you kind of just have to embrace whatever role you’re in. If you’re the starter, you’re the starter. If you’re the backup, go be the best backup you can possibly be.” Trubisky owns the role on screen and in real life. “When they asked me to do [the ad], I was like, ah, it’s being the backup,” he recalled. “But being the backup is important, and there are a lot of roles out there that are important. And so I finally got over that, and everything’s been going great. I’m really glad I did it.” Trubisky’s teammates love seeing the ad. “They joke with you now. They’re like, okay, I see you Hollywood… but honestly, people have been genuinely giving me good compliments about the commercial and like how it’s so funny, how it’s relatable.” Mitch Trubisky Called the Hype Surrounding the Bills-Chiefs Game a ‘Privilege’ Much like Allen, Trubisky takes the season one game at a time. When I asked if success this year means Super Bowl or bust, “I don’t like to look that far ahead because I’m so focused on the now,” he answered. “I think I know if we can do everything we can possibly do in the present, I think those long-term goals will take care of themselves.” Right now, their focus is on the Chiefs. “It’s an exciting thing. You know, when you have Josh Allen going into Patrick Mahomes, everybody’s going to build that up just like they used to do with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. I think that’s a privilege to be able to be a part of games like that.” Overall, the mindset remains the same. “We’re on a mission to continue to get better, and we just got to keep pushing ourselves and sticking to the plan.”
