The Pittsburgh Steelers offense is still questionable as the regular season is drawing near. Mitch Trubisky seems to be in line to start against the Cincinnati Bengals in two weeks, but the Steelers' first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett has made it a difficult decision for Mike Tomlin. Not everyone agrees that the decision comes down to Trubisky and Pickett. Mark Kaboly from The Athletic seems to be curiously holding onto Mason Rudolph as a viable option.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Saturday, Aug.13, 2022 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers)
Kaboly, who has been covering the Steelers since 2002, joined the PM Team W/Poni & Mueller radio program and shared his reasoning with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller. He was unflinching when faced up against the president of the Pickett fan club, dishing his opinions on the Pittsburgh quarterback depth chart for the final preseason game.
“I think Trubisky will start. If he’s got what he wants from him,” Kaboly stated. “He’ll yank him out after a series or two and bring in Pickett. Pickett will get some reps with the ones. Don’t you think that if Trubisky is your starting quarterback, you’d want him to have more than what five series under his belt, maybe seven in three preseason games? If you are going to have Trubisky as your starter, I want to see him out there for a half.”
Kaboly has watched the Steelers up close for 20 years. Most of that time was spent watching how they handled Ben Roethlisberger. Trubisky is not Roethlisberger, but according to Tomlin, he has been the starting quarterback for the entire preseason. NFL teams just don't risk the starting quarterback's health with extended preseason action. Pickett’s play is certainly reason for speculation, but the depth chart hasn’t changed.
Credit: Yahoo.com
“Even Kenny Pickett if you look at it, what’s he got 40 snaps under his belt?" Kaboly opined. "That’s no where near enough to get ready for a season in my opinion. I think this offense is going to struggle for the first month of the season. I think it’s going to be really awful.”
The offensive line could be awful. It is a legitimate point, but all three quarterbacks and the skill positions have performed well during the Steelers two preseason games. If the offensive line play can just be average, Pittsburgh’s playmakers could have above average seasons. The Athletic reporter is firmly holding onto the opinion that the split reps with the ones that did not feature Rudolph have stunted the development of the offense.
“I think Mason has played as well as the other two,” Kaboly said. “I don’t think he’s part of the future here. Eventually he (Pickett) will get his chance, but he is going to be more ready in October than September. Regardless of what either one does Sunday, it is set in stone Trubisky’s going to start the season as number one. If they do consider keeping Rudolph as an insurance policy, do you consider dressing him early in the season cause your more comfortable with him coming off the bench.”
Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Mitch Trubisky (#10) throwing a pass during a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, August 13, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo by: Abigail/Pittsburgh Steelers
The veteran reporter has been consistent with this take throughout training camp. Kaboly could be championing the ever-shrinking faction of Steeler Nation that believes that Rudolph deserves a more significant role with the departure of the Steelers Hall of Fame quarterback. The depth chart clearly has Pickett as the second-string quarterback and that means he is flatly the better player.
“Pickett could take you maybe two, three or four games,” Kaboly concluded. “You wouldn’t want him to be the guy to come in, in case of an injury. I’m not ruling out right now that Kenny Pickett would be a gameday inactive Week 1. They might trust Mason a little bit more coming off the bench than Pickett.”
This is a curious take based on the Steelers coaching staff’s faith in the rookie signal caller at this point. Kaboly seems unwilling to acknowledge that a large faction of the media and the fan base want Pickett to see action against the Bengals. It is unfathomable at this point to think that somehow the Steelers would prefer Rudolph to Pickett in any situation.
The Steelers take the field to a national audience on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on CBS when they host the Detroit Lions. Aside from injuries, the entire first team should see significant playing time as the final preparation for the regular season. The quarterback time splits should go a long way to hinting at who is going to be in street clothes when the Steelers visit The Jungle on opening day.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Do you agree that Rudolph should be in uniform in game one, or is it time for the kid? Comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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