The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback competition has already underwent several ebbs and flows in training camp so far. After getting off to a rough start, Mitch Trubisky started the week well, while Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph struggled. On Wednesday, Trubisky struggled in the "7 shots" drill, but seemed to pick it up throughout the rest of practice.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Rudolph was the only one to complete a pass in that drill, as the defense bounced back with a 5-2 victory. Rudolph completed both of his passes for touchdowns, as Miles Boykin and Cody White were on the receiving end of those throws. Head coach Mike Tomlin did acknowledge that if the season were to begin today, Trubisky would be the starter. That's no different than the plan all along, but the gap has closed a bit between him and the guys behind him. Via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Tomlin admitted the one trait though that sets Trubisky apart from the others.
"Mitch’s silver bullet, if you will, is his fluidity and mobility. He’s a really good athlete," Tomlin said about Trubisky. "Rudolph throws a really good deep ball. [Pickett] has been Steady Eddie. Kenny P, I don’t think you can get him in an environment where he gets flustered. We saw that at Pitt [in college] and it’s been the same. It doesn’t matter what drill or what environment you put him in. He’s Steady Eddy and really cool.”
Trubisky's athleticism was something that appealed to the Steelers when they signed him back in March. It's an aspect of the Steelers that we haven't seen in years. Sure, in his prime, Ben Roethlisberger could evade tacklers and pick up a few yards. Trubisky's mobility though is the best from a Steelers starting QB since the days of Kordell Stewart.
It's important to not downplay the athleticism of Pickett either, as he made several impressive plays in college. Trubisky is just able to provide something new to an offense that desperately needs it. It also allows offensive coordinator, Matt Canada, to implement and tailor his coaching style a bit more into the offense in 2022. His style was severely limited last season, due to the limitations in Roethlisberger's game as he got to the waning stages of his career.
Tomlin just gave the job to Trubisky. Whatever happened to letting the best man win? pic.twitter.com/3VRu1MiAkO
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) August 10, 2022
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Throughout the whole process, the team has been mostly transparent on the quarterback competition. As aforementioned, Trubisky has been the overwhelming favorite throughout. He may already have the job locked up, as it seems Rudolph and Pickett are mostly battling for the No. 2 spot. Regardless, Tomlin has been happy with how all three have performed in camp.
“They’re making it difficult for us. It’s tough to manage three capable guys, but they’re forcing us to do it because they’re making the necessary plays," Tomlin said via Pro Football Talk. "They’re anticipating, the timing has been good, [and] the accuracy has been good.
Trubisky has bounced back nicely after his difficult start to camp, as he continues to settle into the new offense. Running back Najee Harris voiced his praises for Trubisky, mentioning that he's "turning heads" so far. With the first preseason game coming up on Saturday, we'll get our first real look at how the three quarterbacks look in live action.
What are your guys' continued thoughts on the quarterback competition? Are you ready for it to be over? What's your prediction on the order come the start of the regular season? Share your opinions with us in the comment section below, as well as on our social media pages!
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