The Pittsburgh Steelers are one team that has drawn a lot of attention from people this off-season. That is because they are one of the few teams in the league that had a quarterback battle going on the last few weeks.
Pittsburgh said goodbye to long-time starter Ben Roethlisberger this offseason, as he rode off into the sunset of retirement. In his place, the team signed Mitchell Trubisky in free agency, but he was not just handed the job; he had to compete for it.
Mason Rudolph, who is entering his fourth season with the Steelers, was still on the roster and the team used their first-round pick on Kenny Pickett out of Pittsburgh. All signs are pointing to Trubisky being the starter in Week 1 when the team travels to take on their AFC North rivals in the Cincinnati Bengals, with Pickett backing him up.
Alas, nothing official has been shared yet by head coach Mike Tomlin. However, Trubisky is confident that it should be him under center as the starter in Week 1.
“I feel confident with where I’m at,” Trubisky told reporters after Sunday’s preseason finale. “I feel confident with where I’m at and our overall developing as an offense. So I feel confident, and I’m excited to see where we go from here.”
Trubisky started that game, as he did in all three preseason contests. While Pickett certainly did push him with his performance in the games after a slow start, Trubisky is confident in himself to get the job done.
“I think I’ve just shown I can run this offense, I can lead this offense, and I have what it takes to help this team win games,” Trubisky said.
Whoever is under center will certainly have some huge shoes to fill following 18 seasons of Roethlisberger being the starter. Trubisky looks like he will get the first shot, but he will not have a very long leash.
If he struggles to produce consistently, the Steelers will have no qualms about turning to Pickett. He is doing everything he can to remain prepared and is ready to step into the lineup at a moment’s notice should the need arise.
