Steelers: Mike Tomlin gives us clue in starting QB battle
The Pittsburgh Steelers' "plan" at quarterback has been mysterious enough to have even those closest to the team speculating on every possible scenario. Kenny Pickett's strong start to the preseason has only complicated matters. But Mike Tomlin's announcement on Friday is a strong hint at the direction this team is headed. And unsurprisingly, it fits […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers' "plan" at quarterback has been mysterious enough to have even those closest to the team speculating on every possible scenario. Kenny Pickett's strong start to the preseason has only complicated matters.
But Mike Tomlin's announcement on Friday is a strong hint at the direction this team is headed. And unsurprisingly, it fits what the Steelers have been doing all offseason long.
Mitch Trubisky – who's worked as the starting quarterback all offseason long – will start this weekend versus the Detroit Lions. For those who have been paying close attention to the Steelers' summer, this should be no surprise.
After Pickett's first preseason start, I wrote about how Steelers fans were hit by a bucket of cold water by Dan Orlovsky. The ESPN analyst had tweeted out how if Trubisky was your starter heading into the preseason, that should still be the plan going forward.
It's hard not to see his point.
As exciting as Pickett's play has been, it's always been Trubisky's job to lose. And of course, such a starting role won't be set in stone even when the season starts. Sure, it's likely that at some point, the first-round rookie will take the playing field. I can tell you I would take that bet.
But two preseason games are not going to change that.
Having said that, we shouldn't take away from Pickett's impressive start as a Steeler. He's had the highest passer rating among all rookies in a single preseason since 2015. He's also the highest-graded rookie so far by PFF.
And simply put, he's made some wow plays. Perhaps the highlight of which was a seam throw to tight end Pat Freiermuth while under pressure versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pickett's anticipation on that pass is just a glimpse at what made him a first-round draft pick.
And yet, the Steelers have preached patience in this QB battle. Rookie quarterbacks have found success in all kinds of scenarios, so it's not like there's a single right way to develop them.
The Cowboys' Dak Prescott was thrown in there as a fourth-round rookie in 2016. Patrick Mahomes waited for his chance until his second year in the NFL and well… he turned into Patrick Mahomes.
If the Steelers want to be patient with Pickett, there's no amount of preseason feats that will change that. It's Trubisky's job to lose and if/when he does, it won't be until later in the year.
Featured image via Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
