The Pittsburgh Steelers released their depth chart on Monday for week one of the 2022 regular season and it included quite a surprise.

Offseason free agent addition Mitch Trubisky was listed as the starting quarterback. That wasn't much of a surprise, despite rookie Kenny Pickett's strong performance during preseason action.

The big surprise was that Pickett found himself listed as the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart. Veteran Mason Rudolph is listed as the primary backup quarterback.

Steelers release depth chart: Trubisky, Rudolph, Pickett

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) September 5, 2022

The immediate reaction from some fans and media was that Rudolph being listed as the No. 2 quarterback is a sign that Pickett isn't as far along as most thought he was at this point.

I don't think that's anywhere close to what's going on here.

There's a simple explanation here — the Steelers would like to trade Rudolph.

The former Oklahoma State star isn't a franchise quarterback, but he's one of the better backup options in the NFL. With Pickett in the picture, however, there isn't much need for Rudolph in Pittsburgh.

Listing Rudolph as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart ahead of Pickett is nothing more than an advertisement. It might seem silly, but if Rudolph was listed as the Steelers' No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart, he wouldn't be nearly as attractive to another team.

That's all this is. Pickett is still the future in Pittsburgh — regardless of where he was listed on the depth chart.

Update: 

The Steelers updated their depth chart on Tuesday and they now have Pickett as the primary backup to Trubisky.

Steelers’ updated depth chart now lists rookie QB Kenny Pickett as the new backup to starter Mitch Trubisky. pic.twitter.com/3hQqkTHaYD

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 6, 2022

Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports