For years, the Pittsburgh Steelers had Ben Roethlisberger at the helm of the offense. After the soon-to-be Hall of Famer retired, the black and gold's front office was tasked with something that they haven't done in almost two decades. That is, find the quarterback of the future. They selected Mason Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, but that was more of an insurance plan than finding a franchise quarterback.
Many were optimistic of his prospects, but no one really knew when Roethlisberger was going to retire. That put the front office in "limbo" mode in the sense that it was hard to determine just when to draft his successor. Now, the Steelers head into their first season post-Roethlisberger with two main options at quarterback, Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett. Rudolph remains on the team, we'll see for how long, as the likely No. 3.
Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki/USA TODAY Sports
It'll be no easy task for whoever takes over the QB1 spot, especially having to follow up a Hall of Fame icon. There is just one aspect, though, that they will bring to the table. Whether it be Trubisky, or Pickett, each of them present an ability to run the ball. The modern-era of football continues to trend toward the athletic quarterbacks that, at the very least, can scramble away for yards if needed. The pure pocket passers, the Tom Brady's and Peyton Manning's of the world, are few and far between.
Since defenders are now so athletic and quick, teams want the same out of their quarterback. Trubisky and Pickett aren't Josh Allen-esque in their rushing abilities, but they can get the job done. Trubisky's best year in this aspect came in his Pro Bowl 2018 season with the Chicago Bears. On that particular season, he finished with a career-high 421 rushing yards and three touchdowns. In fact, that was fifth-best among quarterbacks in 2018, behind Allen, Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, and Cam Newton. Those are the names you think of when discussing running quarterbacks. Coming out of the University of North Carolina, Trubisky was a bit underrated in the athleticism component of his game.
As for Pickett, you've probably seen the famous fake-slide in last year's ACC Championship Game. The incredible play displayed his own athleticism, as it took a ridiculous amount in order to pull off a play like that in full speed. While he broke out in his final year at the University of Pittsburgh, the same can be said for the running component of his game as well. He ran for a career-high 241 yards, along with five touchdowns in 13 games.
Credit: Logan Whitton/Getty Images
On the contrary, the Steelers haven't had that kind of running threat in a long time. Roethlisberger only ran for more than 105 yards just three times, with the last time being in 2010. His best was in 2007, where he ran for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Roethlisberger's athleticism was underrated in his prime, but it was more about evading tacklers in the backfield and scrambling for a yard or two. With Trubisky and Pickett, offensive coordinator Matt Canada can do RPO-style plays and feel comfortable with either of them taking off with the ball.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have prime Ben Roethlisberger back. If there's one positive to take with his retirement though, it's that the Steelers will have somewhat of a running threat at quarterback now.
What do you guys think of this added dynamic for the Steelers offense in 2022? What are your expectations for Trubisky/Pickett? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
#SteelerNation
MORE STEELERS NEWS
Intriguing Steelers are NFL’s “CHAOS” Team in the 2022 Season: “You can never count out Mike Tomlin”
