The Pittsburgh Steelers and their quarterback situation. It's been a topic that has been discussed everyday this off-season by everyone imaginable. Even before Ben Roethlisberger retired, it had been a topic of conversation for several years. What should the Steelers do after Roethlisberger? Should they draft a quarterback this season? All of those questions we've heard since somewhere around the mid 2010s.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers (left), quarterback Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks (center) and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals (right), talk about Super Bowl XLII before the game at the Wells Fargo Center on February 1, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Reuters)
Over the weekend, Larry Fitzgerald played some golf at the American Century Championship at Lake Tahoe with a host of other former superstars including Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson, Pat McAfee, Brian Urlacher, and Steelers Hall of Famer, Jerome Bettis. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo ended up winning the event in a two-hole playoff.
After the event, Channel 11 WPXI out of Pittsburgh was able to catch up with Fitzgerald who of course was a star at the University of Pittsburgh before he went on to have a legendary career with the Arizona Cardinals.
Fitzgerald has the obvious connection to the Pittsburgh quarterback situation. Kenny Pickett went to Pitt. Fitzgerald still has a large connection to his ala mater and has been rooting for Pickett for the past few seasons. Now he gets to watch Pickett transition into the NFL.
“I’m real excited for Kenny [Pickett] and what he’s going to be able to do with the Pittsburgh Steelers," told Channel 11 WPXI. "I hope he’s going to win that job and go out there and perform the way he’s been performing. He’s familiar with the practice facilities, has produced in a large way at Heinz Field, so there’s a lot of familiarity with him and I know the city’s going to get behind him.”
Fitzgerald named Pickett as another great ambassador of the university like many that came before him and entered the NFL. And he believes Pitt will continue to put players into the NFL.
“We’re going to continue to produce the Aaron Donald's and the Darrelle Revis' and the Kenny Pickett's of the world who will uphold the legacies and traditions of the great University of Pittsburgh."
If Pickett turns out to have a career even in the realm of Aaron Donald or Darrelle Revis, then there are going to be a lot of happy people in Pittsburgh. Revis dominated during his time in the NFL gaining the nickname "Revis Island" for always shutting down opponents' best receivers. Donald continues to be the best defensive lineman in the game outside of Steelers Cam Heyward. Donald helped lead the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl title last season.
KARL ROSER / STEELERS
At the moment, it doesn't seem like Pickett is going to be able to win the starting spot for Pittsburgh ahead of Week 1. Free agent signee Mitch Trubisky currently has a strangle hold on the position as the team gets set for training camp later this month. Pickett still needs to overcome veteran Mason Rudolph if he wants to have a chance at Trubisky.
Whether head coach Mike Tomlin is willing to give Pickett the proper reps to make a run for the starting spot is still to be determined. If the middle of August comes and the Steelers still haven't moved on from Rudolph, than it might not be possible.
