All off-season long, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback battle has been the hot topic of debate. That's what happens when your Hall of Fame quarterback of 18 years, retires. With Ben Roethlisberger no longer in the fold, the team has to turn elsewhere. Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, and Kenny Pickett are now in a full-fledged, three-man competition to start Week 1 in Cincinnati.
Defensive lineman Cam Heyward recently started up his own podcast, as a part of the "New Media" trend. The trend's began over the last year or so, with current and former players becoming more prevalent and aiming for a more fact-based form of sports media. In the first episode of the Not Just Football podcast, Heyward discussed a handful of topics, including the quarterback competition in Pittsburgh. He had this to say to start things off:
"I think it starts with Mitch [Trubisky]," Heyward said via Not Just Football. "I think the thing that we have to remember about Mitch is, he's coming from a situation [in Chicago] where they didn't really give him anything. And he still made it to the playoffs. Mitch does a lot of things right. I think we have a better team around him, and we're going to support him. Right now, he's our No. 1."
Aug 21, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) smiles after a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
Trubisky spent the 2021 season with the Buffalo Bills as a backup to Josh Allen, but his true playing time in the NFL has come with the Chicago Bears. That's the aspect of his career that Heyward is referencing to, and it's accurate to say he didn't exactly get a fair shake in Chicago. Head coach Matt Nagy continuously proved to be quite inept at his job. Beyond Allen Robinson, the weapons in the Windy City were uninspiring from top to bottom.
The last little tidbit just continues to confirm what we seemingly already knew heading into training camp. As of now, Trubisky is the guy. It's unclear as to who has the leg up in the No. 2 spot, although it seems to be Rudolph. Pickett has yet to face live action defenders, so until then, he has a mountain to climb. Heyward was quick to remind us all, that there is still a lot of time left before the season, and things can change.
"We don't know what it's going to be by the time the season kicks off. There's a lot of football that has to take place. We know we're going to have a good running game with Najee [Harris], and so the load is not just going to be on what our quarterback can do. It's what you can do to manage."
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) participates in Organized Team Activities (OTAs) on Tuesday May 31, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers)
The options the Steelers have at quarterback are more talented than just purely game managers, but that's essentially what the starter will have to be. Don't turn the ball over, and rely on a very good running back in Najee Harris. Do you guys think Trubisky stays starter into the season? Are you optimistic about his ceiling, in an offense with better options than he's had? Let us know in the comments below!
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