Steelers’ locker room might have some issues moving forward
That was a painful loss for the Pittsburgh Steelers as the team fell 24-20 at home to the New York Jets. The unfortunate stumble was made even more difficult to handle as Steelers' faithful hoped for an iconic win when a big shake-up at quarterback occurred. With the game within reach despite a struggling offense, […]
That was a painful loss for the Pittsburgh Steelers as the team fell 24-20 at home to the New York Jets. The unfortunate stumble was made even more difficult to handle as Steelers' faithful hoped for an iconic win when a big shake-up at quarterback occurred.
With the game within reach despite a struggling offense, first-round rookie Kenny Pickett entered the game in the second half to make his NFL regular season debut. The quarterback change was made by head coach Mike Tomlin as he "looked for a spark."
That spark did happen, as those watching the game were able to witness. Pickett completed 77% of his passes as he passed for 120 yards and rushed for two touchdowns.
But the loss was even tougher for Mitch Trubisky, who went from Steelers' captain to backup quarterback in the blink of an eye. His reaction after the game was that of a frustrated player. And honestly, can you blame him?
"It's a tough deal. It's definitely not what I wanted, not what I expected. But it's part of it," said Trubisky after the game.
But the most telling bit of Trubisky's postgame comments came when asked if he thought Mike Tomlin's decision to bench him came because the head coach wanted a spark or whether he thought it was solely related to his performance. The quarterback was short in his answers and appeared tense.
"You'd have to ask him," said Trubisky abruptly.
After a reporter added that's what Tomlin had said, he added "There you go, looking for a spark."
You can't blame Trubisky for being tense and frustrated about what happened on Sunday. But his reaction sheds light on a situation to watch in Pittsburgh over the next few days.
Moving forward, it will be key for the Steelers to not allow the change at quarterback to create locker room trouble. NFL players are often underestimated by fans and media. While it's a passionate sport, they know what's up. They're businessmen.
However, this is the same locker room that has been publicly throwing jabs and sneaky comments against the coaching staff. Players have questioned the team's use of tempo, and the team's offensive trends, among other things.
Knowing that the quarterback wasn't the only issue and that the Steelers had claimed Trubisky's job was safe for the entire season, how will the team react?
It's a tough spot to be in because while everyone expected this could come at any moment, the Steelers went out of their way to act as if benching Mitch wasn't even possible.
Tomlin said before the season that Trubisky was the unquestioned starter for the entirety of the campaign. He named the veteran a team captain. In the offseason, Pickett worked primarily with the third team. This very week, it was business as usual in practice.
Hopefully, it isn't an issue. We know Mike Tomlin is a no-nonsense coach that can keep the locker room together. He's handled controversies well in the past.
Plus, Kenny Pickett is exciting. If the players know how unlikely a shift in offensive philosophy is, they also know the rookie is their best bet to shake things up on offense.
Trubisky himself seems to be aware of how Pittsburgh needs to avoid issues within the team as he also talked about what's next for him.
Players like Diontae Johnson even sound excited about the apparent new starting quarterback (Tomlin declined to confirm Pickett is the starter).
But the next few weeks could get quite challenging. Kenny Pickett is fun and he showed it even in a loss. But the Steelers offense still has plenty of problems as the team gets ready for a tough four-week stretch.
The Steelers' job right now is to keep the locker room together even if Trubisky's benching doesn't translate to wins anytime soon.
A huge part of that could be solved with Tomlin declaring a starter. That way, everyone can get on the same page quickly as the team gets ready to face the Buffalo Bills next week.
Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
